Hexagram 41 of 64
Decrease
損 (Sǔn)
Decrease (sǔn) — yielding and reducing in order to grow
ReductionAs shown in classical I Ching texts
Composition
Upper Trigram
Still, keeping, meditative — the power of not-moving
Outer situation / environment
Lower Trigram
Joyful, open, expressive — the pleasure of exchange and communication
Inner situation / your state
Interaction
Mountain above Lake — peak meeting marsh. The outer energy of mountain shapes the inner disposition of lake.
Meaning
Decrease that serves increase — simplify with sincerity. Even two small bowls can honor the spirits.
Classical Judgment
“Decrease combined with sincerity brings about supreme good fortune without blame.”
The classical judgment is the original oracle text — the answer the I Ching gives when this hexagram appears.
The Image
At the foot of the mountain, the lake. The superior one controls anger and restrains the instincts.
The Image is a nature scene associated with this hexagram — a symbolic picture that distils its essence. In classic texts, meditating on the Image was considered the proper way to absorb the hexagram's teaching.
Nuclear Hexagram
Lines 2–5 of this hexagram form an inner hexagram called the nuclear hexagram. It reveals the hidden seed or underlying dynamic within the situation — what lies at the core beneath the surface.
#24 — Hidden within
Return
復 (Fù) · Renewal
In a Reading
When hexagram 41 appears in your reading, the I Ching is drawing your attention to the quality of reduction. Sit with the Image — “At the foot of the mountain, the lake” — and consider how this pattern is playing out in your current situation. The Judgment offers the oracle’s direct guidance on how to move with this energy rather than against it.
Receive a personal reading with this hexagram interpreted for your specific question
Get a Free Reading