山泽损 · Sǔn
Hexagram 41 · Decrease 损
Hexagram 41, Sun (Decrease), describes voluntary reduction: a lake below a mountain giving up its water so the higher ground can stand firm.
- above
- ☶ 艮 Gèn · 山
- below
- ☱ 兑 Duì · 泽
The Judgment
损：有孚，元吉，无咎，可贞，利有攸往。曷之用？二簋可用享。Original text · 周易
Decrease, when done with sincerity, brings great good fortune and no blame. It can be held to steadily and it is worth moving forward. What should be offered? Even two simple bowls are enough for the offering.
The Image
山下有泽，损，君子以惩忿窒欲。Original text · 周易
A lake lies at the foot of a mountain. Following this, a person of depth restrains anger and stops runaway desire.
Meaning
Sun places Dui, the lake, beneath Gen, the mountain. The lake evaporates and thins so the mountain above can grow taller; something low is diminished so something high can be built. That is the core theme: loss chosen on purpose, in the right proportion, at the right time. The judgment insists that the offering need not be lavish. Two bowls of grain, given sincerely, count more than a banquet given for show. Decrease is not poverty or defeat. It is the deliberate act of taking away what is excessive so that what remains has weight.
In modern life this hexagram often arrives when you are overextended. Imagine someone who has said yes to three side projects, two group chats that plan trips, and a subscription for every hobby they briefly considered. Their calendar is full and their attention is thin. Sun asks which of these can be cut without regret, and it suggests that cutting will feel like relief rather than sacrifice. The same energy appears in a couple who decide to spend less on outings and more evenings actually talking. Less becomes the container for more.
To hold Decrease well, begin with the two things the image names: anger and appetite. Notice where irritation is running the show and where wanting has become automatic. Reduce those first, then reduce possessions, commitments, and noise. Timing favors moving forward once the trimming is done, so this is not a season to freeze but to travel light. Keep sincerity at the center. A small, honest offering, whether it is time, money, or an apology, does more here than a grand gesture designed to impress.
Common questions
What does Hexagram 41 mean for love and relationships?
In relationships, Decrease points to giving something up for the sake of the bond, and doing it gladly rather than as a bargaining chip. It might mean lowering your defenses, dropping a habit that irritates your partner, or spending less on gestures and more on presence. The two bowls in the judgment are the key image: sincerity outweighs scale. If you are asking about someone new, Sun suggests simplicity and honesty over showing off. If the relationship is strained, look at where anger or wanting is running things and gently reduce it.
What does Hexagram 41 mean for career and money?
For career, Sun favors trimming rather than expanding: dropping the project that drains you, saying no to a role that pays more but costs your health, or simplifying an offering so it becomes clearer. Financially it counsels reduced spending and honest budgeting, and it warns against extravagance meant to signal status. The mountain grows because the lake gives. Investing in fewer, better things, and giving to others in a modest but real way, tends to strengthen your position over time even though the immediate balance looks smaller.
Should I cut back or hold on if I get Hexagram 41?
The hexagram leans toward cutting back, with one important qualifier: the reduction should be sincere and proportional, not punitive. Ask what the excess is, whether it is possessions, commitments, or emotional reactions, and reduce that specifically. The judgment says movement is favorable after decrease, so once you have lightened the load, act. Do not decrease things that are already the minimum, and do not use austerity to punish yourself. Reduce what is heavy, keep what is essential, then walk forward with less weight.
How to work with this hexagram
- Cut what is excessive, not what is essential.
- Cool anger and appetite before you cut anything else.
- Offer something small and sincere rather than something large and showy.
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