易經 · I Ching · #41
䷨
Sun · Diminishing · Decrease
損
Decrease — one of the sixty-four archetypal situations in the Book of Changes.
The Judgment
Giving something up, sincerely and without show, can bring great good fortune.
The Image
A lake at the foot of the mountain, so the wise person controls anger and restrains impulses.
How to use it
Simplify. Let go of the excess and do it honestly.
Structure
Six lines: 艮 Mountain (Gen) above and 兌 Lake (Dui) below. Lines are read from the bottom up.
Related hexagrams
- ䷞ 31. Conjoining · Influence — Opposite: every line reversed
- ䷩ 42. Augmenting · Increase — Reversed: the same lines turned upside down
- ䷗ 24. Returning · Return — Inner (nuclear): the hidden structure formed by lines 2 to 5
Each BaZi pillar maps to a hexagram through its stem and branch. Coin casting uses a different method — both are valid paths into the Book of Changes. The I Ching is a traditional wisdom text. It describes the character of a moment, not a fixed outcome.