Mountain above Lake
I Ching Hexagram 41 – Sun (損), Decrease
What Is Hexagram 41?
Hexagram 41 is Sun, Decrease: Mountain above Lake. Stillness limits pleasure below, describing a voluntary reduction that restores balance rather than mere loss.
Decrease becomes fortunate when it is offered freely and directed toward what matters. Remove excess without diminishing essential nourishment.
- Upper trigram
- Gen — Mountain
- Lower trigram
- Dui — Lake
- Key themes
- decrease, simplicity, offering, balance
The Meaning of Hexagram 41
Sun asks what can be reduced so attention and resources become trustworthy. A sincere offering may be time, money, pride, or an expectation.
Its lines distinguish measured decrease from self-harm. Simplify the form, preserve the center, and let generosity remain sustainable.
The Image of Hexagram 41
A mountain rests above a lake, holding back its expansion. The image shows restraint shaping enjoyment into a clear reservoir.
Reduce one thing deliberately and observe what becomes available. Sun favors proportion, not punishment.
The Six Lines of Hexagram 41
Lines are numbered from the bottom of the hexagram upward. In a cast, give particular attention to any positions that appeared as changing lines.
Line 1
Going quickly when work is finished brings good fortune. Reduce delay and leave a completed task cleanly.
Line 2
Correct decrease brings benefit, but generosity should not become self-erasure. Give what you can sustain.
Line 3
When three travel, one is lost; when one travels, a companion is found. Simplify the group and the true ally appears.
Line 4
Decrease illness quickly brings joy. Remove the source of imbalance rather than decorating symptoms.
Line 5
Increase arrives through a trustworthy channel. Accept support without turning it into dependence.
Line 6
Increase without decrease brings no blame when the purpose is clear. Share abundance with proper timing.
What Hexagram 41 Can Mean in Different Situations
Relationships
Reduce scorekeeping and unnecessary demands while preserving mutual needs. A smaller, clearer agreement can restore trust.
Work and Career
Cut low-value work and redirect resources to the essential mission. Simplification should strengthen capacity, not merely shrink it.
Decisions
Ask what can be removed without harming the core. Make a bounded sacrifice, then review whether balance has returned.
Personal Direction
Practice deliberate simplicity in attention, possessions, and commitments. Less noise can reveal the obligation worth keeping.