Anonymous (traditionally attributed to King Wen, the Duke of Zhou and Confucius) · Complete work
Hexagram 41 · Sǔn ䷨
Hexagram 41 · Sǔn ䷨ of 69. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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損：有孚，元吉。无咎，可貞，利有攸往。曷之用？二簋可用享。
初九：祀事遄往，无咎，酌損之。
九二：利貞，征凶，弗損益之。
六三：三人行，則損一人；一人行，則得其友。
六四：損其疾，使遄有喜，无咎。
六五：或益之，十朋之龜弗克違，元吉。
上九：弗損益之，无咎，貞吉，利有攸往，得臣无家。
彖曰：損，損下益上，其道上行。損而有孚，元吉，无咎，可貞，利有攸往。曷之用？二簋可用享；二簋應有時。損剛益柔有時，損益盈虛，與時偕行。
象曰：山下有澤，損；君子以懲忿窒欲。
已事遄往，尚合志也。
九二利貞，中以為志也。
一人行，三則疑也。
損其疾，亦可喜也。
六五元吉，自上佑也。
弗損益之，大得志也。
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the classical Chinese, passage for passage, covering all 64 hexagrams with their judgments, line statements and attached commentaries, and the remaining Wings (the Great Commentary, the Discussion of the Trigrams, the Sequence and the Contrasts of the Hexagrams), 1,204 passages in all.
Sun (Decrease): with sincerity, supreme good fortune. No blame; steadfastness is possible; it is favorable to have somewhere to go. How shall this be used? Two earthen bowls may serve for the offering.
Nine at the beginning: In the work of sacrifice, go swiftly — no blame; but decrease the offering with measure.
Nine in the second place: It is favorable to be steadfast; to march forward brings misfortune; neither decrease nor increase it.
Six in the third place: When three walk together, one is decreased; when one walks alone, he finds his friend.
Six in the fourth place: The ailment is decreased; make haste, and there will be joy — no blame.
Six in the fifth place: Someone adds to his gain; ten pairs of tortoise shells could not be refused — supreme good fortune.
Nine at the top: Neither decrease nor increase it — no blame; steadfastness brings good fortune; it is favorable to have somewhere to go: he gains servants who have no house of their own.
The Judgment Commentary says: In Sun (Decrease) the lower is decreased to increase the upper: its way moves upward. "Decrease, and there is sincerity: supreme good fortune, no blame; steadfastness is possible; it is favorable to have somewhere to go. How shall this be used? Two earthen bowls may serve for the offering" — yet the two bowls must answer to the season. There is a time for decreasing the firm and increasing the yielding; decrease and increase, fullness and emptiness go forward together with the time.
The Image Commentary says: Below the mountain there is a lake: Sun. Thus the noble person masters anger and dams desire.
When the affair is done, to go swiftly is to join one's will to another's.
That it is favorable for the nine in the second place to be steadfast: it takes the center as its will.
One walks alone: with three there would be doubt.
That the ailment is decreased is matter for joy.
The supreme good fortune of the six in the fifth place comes from the blessing above.
Neither decreasing nor increasing it, he greatly attains his will.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the classical Chinese, covering all 64 hexagrams with their judgments, line statements and attached commentaries, and the remaining Wings (the Great Commentary, the Discussion of the Trigrams, the Sequence and the Contrasts of the Hexagrams), 1,204 passages in all.
Sun (Decrease): With sincerity comes supreme good fortune. No blame. You can stay the course; it is favorable to have somewhere to go. What should be used for the offering? Two bowls are enough for a sacrifice.
Nine at the beginning: When the sacrificial work is finished, go quickly. No blame. Consider how much to reduce.
Nine in the second place: It is favorable to stay steady. Going on an expedition brings misfortune. Do not reduce it; increase it.
Six in the third place: When three people travel together, one is lost. When one person travels alone, that person finds a companion.
Six in the fourth place: Reduce the illness so that joy comes quickly. No blame.
Six in the fifth place: Someone increases it. Even a tortoise worth ten pairs of shells cannot oppose this. Supreme good fortune.
Nine at the top: Do not reduce it; increase it. No blame. Staying the course brings good fortune. It is favorable to have somewhere to go. He gains servants without homes of their own.
The Judgment Commentary says: Sun (Decrease) reduces what is below and increases what is above. Its way moves upward. With decrease and sincerity come supreme good fortune, no blame, the ability to stay the course, and favorable results in going somewhere. What should be used? Two bowls are enough for a sacrifice, when the time is right for two bowls. There is a time to reduce the firm and increase the yielding. Decrease and increase, fullness and emptiness, all move with the times.
The Image Commentary says: A lake below a mountain: this is Sun (Decrease). So the noble person restrains anger and checks desire.
When the work is finished, going quickly accords with the wishes of the one above.
It is favorable for the nine in the second place to stay steady because it aims for the middle.
One person travels alone, since three people give rise to doubt.
Reducing the illness is indeed reason for joy.
The six in the fifth place has supreme good fortune because help comes from above.
Do not reduce it; increase it: this fully achieves the aim.