What is Hexagram 41, Decrease?
Hexagram 41, Decrease (損 Sǔn), is built from Mountain (艮 Gèn) over Lake (兌 Duì), and the Wilhelm-Baynes translation reads its themes as sacrifice, simplicity, sincerity. The classical sources describe it as a pattern in the Book of Changes (易經 Yìjīng), a situation to recognise, not a verdict to obey.
Key Takeaways
- Hexagram 41 is built from Mountain (艮 Gèn) over Lake (兌 Duì).
- Its central themes, sacrifice, simplicity, sincerity, letting go, sit in the Wilhelm-Baynes lineage.
- The classical pairing matches the hexagram to Selenite as the meditation stone.
- Read alongside BaZi, Kua, and Compass School sector mapping for a fuller picture.
- This is a pattern, not a verdict, the I-Ching frames reflection, not prediction.
The Judgment
Decrease combined with sincerity brings about supreme good fortune without blame. One may be persevering in this. It furthers one to undertake something. How is this to be carried out? One may use two small bowls for the sacrifice.
The Image
At the foot of the mountain, the lake: the image of Decrease. Thus the superior person controls anger and restrains the instincts.
Master Wei Lin's Interpretation
Interpretation by Master Wei Lin, Chinese Metaphysics Scholar, pattern recognition, not fortune-telling
The lake at the mountain's base, the lower is diminished to nourish the higher. Decrease is not loss; it is conscious sacrifice. Something needs to be given up so that something else can grow. Your question is being met with this truth: what you release with sincerity returns to you transformed. Even simple offerings, made with a whole heart, have more power than elaborate ones made with reservations.
The Six Lines
When a changing line appears in your reading, its text carries special guidance for your situation.
Line 1 (bottom)
“Going quickly when one's tasks are finished is without blame. But one must reflect on how much one may decrease others.”
Line 2
“Perseverance furthers. To undertake something brings misfortune. Without decreasing oneself, one is able to bring increase to others.”
Line 3
“When three people journey together, their number decreases by one. When one person journeys alone, they find a companion.”
Line 4
“If one decreases one's faults, it makes the other hasten to come and rejoice. No blame.”
Line 5
“Someone does indeed increase the person. Ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it. Supreme good fortune.”
Line 6 (top)
“If one is increased without depriving others, there is no blame. Perseverance brings good fortune. It furthers one to undertake something. One obtains servants but no longer has a separate home.”
🔮 Crystal for Hexagram 41
Selenite
Hold Selenite while meditating on Decrease. Its energy resonates with the themes of sacrifice, simplicity, sincerity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Hexagram 41 (Decrease) mean?
In the Wilhelm-Baynes translation of the I-Ching (易經 Yìjīng), Hexagram 41, Decrease (損 Sǔn), is read through Mountain (艮 Gèn) over Lake (兌 Duì). The classical sources describe its themes as sacrifice, simplicity, sincerity. This is pattern recognition, not prediction.
What is the Judgment for Decrease?
The Judgment reads: "Decrease combined with sincerity brings about supreme good fortune without blame. One may be persevering in this. It furthers one to undertake something. How is this to be carried out? One may use two small bowls for the sacrifice.", the Judgment is the I-Ching's classical summary of the situation the hexagram describes, and what the present moment is asking of the reader.
What is the Image for Decrease?
The Image reads: "At the foot of the mountain, the lake: the image of Decrease. Thus the superior person controls anger and restrains the instincts.", in the classical sources the Image is the elemental picture, the upper and lower trigrams in conversation, that the reader holds while sitting with the hexagram.
What crystal pairs with Hexagram 41?
Selenite is the traditional pairing for Decrease. The classical Chinese gemology lineage associates this stone with the hexagram's central themes, hold it during meditation on the reading. This is reflective practice, not divination-as-prediction.
How is Hexagram 41 read in BaZi or Feng Shui?
An I-Ching cast is one consultation. The fuller reading, Four Pillars (四柱 Sì Zhù), Kua personal feng shui, and Compass School sector mapping, reads the hexagram alongside the chart. Master Wei Lin's Master Reading section synthesizes the Book of Changes alongside BaZi and the other Chinese metaphysics traditions.
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