䷨DecreaseSǔn

The judgment

有孚，元吉。无咎，可贞，利有攸往。曷之用？二簋可用享

The lake sits at the foot of the mountain and its water goes to the height above. Loss that feeds a higher thing holds; a cut with no destination drains twice.

The image

The mountain takes from the lake below and stands taller for it. What is given up here comes back as height.

The six lines

Read from the bottom up. A line that moves is read here, and read again in the hexagram it becomes.

1. 初九Line 1

   祀事遄往，无咎，酌损之

   The sacrificial service calls for pressing forward; get the feet moving and no fault will settle on you. When strength runs short, spare a portion from your own side, weighing what to cut back rather than emptying yourself out.

   Marked in the textno blame

2. 九二Line 2

   利贞，征凶，弗损益之

   Holding still is steadier than pushing forward; one more stretch here folds in what was already gained.

   Marked in the textominous

3. 六三Line 3

   三人行，则损一人；一人行，则得其友

   Three walking together means one drops away; going alone, a companion turns up instead.

4. 六四Line 4

   损其疾，使遄有喜，无咎

   Deal with the flaw the moment it shows; the earlier it is handled, the lighter the road after.

   Marked in the textno blame

5. 六五Line 5

   或益之，十朋之龟弗克违，元吉

   Support arriving from outside is too large to refuse, and this step carries more weight than you can steer.

   Marked in the textauspicious

6. 上九Line 6

   弗损益之，无咎，贞吉，利有攸往，得臣无家

   Stop adding and instead pass on what remains; no fault clings, holding steady brings peace, and there is a road forward. Hearts come over to you, gathered without being bound to one house or one clan.

   Marked in the textno blameauspicious

Where each changing line leads

Flip one line and it is a different hexagram. These are the six it becomes.

• 初九→Youthful FollyHexagram 4
• 九二→NourishmentHexagram 27
• 六三→Great TamingHexagram 26
• 六四→OppositionHexagram 38
• 六五→Inner TruthHexagram 61
• 上九→ApproachHexagram 19