第 41 卦 · Hexagram 41

損

Sun · Decrease (Mountain over Lake)

懲忿窒欲，損下益上

上☶艮 · 山 / Mountain下☱兌 · 澤 / Lake

錯卦把每一爻都翻轉（陽↔陰）後得到的另一卦。Every line flipped, yang ↔ yin.Opposite31 · 咸綜卦把整個卦上下顛倒後得到的另一卦。The whole figure turned upside-down.Inverse42 · 益互卦由二、三、四爻與三、四、五爻組成的中間卦。Built from lines 2-3-4 and 3-4-5.Nuclear24 · 復

象Image

先看圖像，再讀文字。Read the image before the words.

大象傳《大象傳》從上下卦的自然圖像推演全卦之象，再提出人事取法。The Great Image derives conduct from the two trigrams' natural images.Great Image

全卦成象Whole image
山下有澤，損
(The trigram representing) a mountain and beneath it that of a lake form Sun.
人事取法Conduct
君子以懲忿窒欲。
The superior man, in accordance with this, restrains his wrath and represses his desires.

山下有澤——損之象。君子由此體會：懲止憤怒，堵塞慾望（這是內在的損）。

(The trigram representing) a mountain and beneath it that of a lake form Sun. The superior man, in accordance with this, restrains his wrath and represses his desires.

辭Words

先讀經文，再讀《彖傳》如何解釋卦辭。The received text, then the Tuan commentary on it.

經

卦辭對整個卦（六條線為一組）的總體判斷。The judgment on the hexagram as a whole.

Judgment

損：有孚，元吉，無咎，可貞，利有攸往。曷之用？二簋可用享。

損卦——有誠信則大吉，無咎，可以守正，利有所往。減損之物如何用？兩個簋（祭器）就足以祭祀。誠意比形式重要。

In what is denoted by Sun, if there be sincerity (in him who employs it), there will be great good fortune; freedom from error; firmness and correctness may be maintained, and there will be advantage in every movement that shall be made. In what shall this (sincerity in the exercise of Sun) be employed? (Even) in sacrifice two baskets of grain, (though there be nothing else,) may be presented.

傳

彖傳十翼之一，直接解釋卦名、卦辭及其剛柔結構。Tuan Zhuan — explains the name, the Judgment and the line structure.

Commentary on the Judgment

損，損下益上，其道上行。損而有孚，元吉，無咎，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。

損之為道，是減損下方增益上方，其道向上行。減損若有誠信，則大吉、無咎、可貞、利往。如何用？兩簋之祭已足，但「二簋」也要看時機；損剛益柔也有時機；損益盈虛，與時並行。

In Sun the lower (trigram) is diminished, and the upper added to. Diminution combined with sincerity leads to great fortune. The diminishing of the strong and the increasing of the weak each take place at the proper time. Diminution and increase, fullness and emptiness — all proceed with the time.

爻Lines

六條線各有一句判斷。閱讀次序初→上；卦象由下而上，看左側的卦。One statement per line, read from the first line to the top. The figure is drawn bottom-up — watch the rail.

初九

酌

援上有度measured aid

第 1 爻 · 陽line 1 · yang

已事遄往，無咎，酌損之。

停下自己的事務迅速前往（援助上）——無咎，但要斟酌減損的程度。

The first NINE shows its subject suspending his own affairs, and hurrying away (to help the subject of the fourth line). He will commit no error, but let him consider how far he should contribute of what is his (to the other).

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註。Xiao Xiang — short classical commentary on this line.

已事遄往，尚合志也。

已事遄往，是與上位志同。

九二

貞

守中弗強hold center

第 2 爻 · 陽line 2 · yang

利貞，征凶，弗損益之。

利於守正，前進則凶；不要強行減損他人來益自己。

The second NINE shows that it will be advantageous for its subject to maintain a firm correctness, and that action on his part will be evil. He can give increase (to his correlate) without taking from himself.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註。Xiao Xiang — short classical commentary on this line.

九二利貞，中以為志也。

九二利貞，是以中位為志。

六三

獨

三疑一友three doubts, one friend

第 3 爻 · 陰line 3 · yin

三人行，則損一人；一人行，則得其友。

三人同行則必減損一人（多則必有不合）；一人獨行則會找到朋友（少則易得相應）。損益的辯證。

The third SIX shows how of three men walking together, the number is diminished by one; and how one man, walking, finds his friend.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註。Xiao Xiang — short classical commentary on this line.

一人行，三則疑也。

一人行可得友，三人行則生疑。

六四

疾

損己之病shed the ailment

第 4 爻 · 陰line 4 · yin

損其疾，使遄有喜，無咎。

減損自己的疾病（毛病、缺點）——使對方迅速得喜，無咎。

The fourth SIX shows its subject diminishing the ailment under which he labours by making the subject of the first line hasten (to his help). There will be joy, and no error.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註。Xiao Xiang — short classical commentary on this line.

損其疾，亦可喜也。

減損疾患，也是喜事。

六五

祐

受益元吉receives blessing

第 5 爻 · 陰line 5 · yin

或益之十朋之龜，弗克違，元吉。

有人贈送價值十朋的龜（極珍貴的禮物）——無法拒絕，大吉。柔居尊位而能順受。

The fifth SIX shows parties adding to (the stores of) its subject ten pairs of tortoise shells, and accepting no refusal. There will be great good fortune.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註。Xiao Xiang — short classical commentary on this line.

六五元吉，自上祐也。

六五大吉，是來自天的庇佑。

上九

弗

益人成己give without loss

第 6 爻 · 陽line 6 · yang

弗損益之，無咎，貞吉，利有攸往，得臣無家。

不減損反而增益——無咎，守正則吉，利有所往，得到天下臣民而忘卻自家私利。

The topmost NINE shows its subject giving increase to others without taking from himself. There will be no error; with firm correctness there will be good fortune. There will be advantage in every movement that shall be made; he will find ministers more than can be confined to their own families.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註。Xiao Xiang — short classical commentary on this line.

弗損益之，大得志也。

不減損而能益他人，是大得其志。

用Use

把象套到你的情境，取一個可行的下一步。Apply the image to your situation; take one practical step.

損·誠·懲忿窒欲

Decrease · sincerity · restraining anger and desire

把象套到你的情境 · Apply the image to your situation

初九酌犧牲自己幫助上司——但要量力而為。Sacrifice for your boss — but measure your contribution.
九二貞不要強行讓步以討好他人。Don't force concessions to curry favor.
六三獨三人合作必有人被排擠；獨立工作反易找到真同道。Three-way partnership breeds exclusion; solo work finds true allies.
六四疾減去自己的壞習慣讓團隊立即受益——大吉。Shedding your own bad habit benefits the team — auspicious.
六五祐意外得到大投資/大支持——順受即可。Unexpected major support — receive it.
上九弗你能不減損自己而給予下屬——是領導的至高境。Giving without depleting yourself — leadership's height.

可行的一步 · Practical move

損卦最大的應用：所損者在內，不在外。大象「懲忿窒欲」是 64 卦中最直接的修身箴言——不是物質的減少，是憤怒與慾望的減少。到了上九「弗損益之」，便能不損自己而給予他人。

The deepest application of Sun: real decrease is internal. The Da Xiang's 'restrain wrath, dam desire' is the most direct cultivation maxim in the 64. The peak is line 6: giving without depleting yourself.

失手之處 · Failure mode

九二「弗損益之」之失：強行減損自己（過度犧牲）而期望換來別人的益。讀此爻自警：給予不該以自我消耗為前提。

Line 2's failure: forcing your own decrease (over-sacrificing) hoping for others' increase. Giving shouldn't presuppose self-depletion.

義理Commentary4

三國·魏 (226–249 CE)王弼《周易注》Wang BiScholarly

王弼以為損卦的核心在「損下益上」——表面看是失，實則是聚力於上以成大事。卦辭「二簋可用享」深刻——祭祀的本質是誠意，不是排場。讀此卦最該記住大象「懲忿窒欲」四字——真正的損是內在的損，不是外在的失。

Wang Bi takes the core of Sun to be 'decreasing the lower to increase the upper' — what looks like loss is in fact the gathering of strength above to accomplish something great. The Judgment's 'two vessels suffice for the offering' cuts deep: the essence of sacrifice is sincerity, not spectacle. What most deserves remembering in this hexagram are the Great Image's four characters cheng fen zhi yu (懲忿窒欲) — the real decrease is inner decrease, not outer loss.

北宋 · 11th c.程頤《伊川易傳》Cheng YiScholarly

程子強調「損益盈虛，與時偕行」一句——損之為道是時機之學。能損則損，當益則益，不可固守一端。最重要的是「有孚」——損之必伴誠信，否則只是貪取。

Cheng Yi stresses the sentence 'decrease and increase, fullness and emptiness, move together with the time' — the way of Sun is a study in timing. Decrease when decrease is possible, increase when increase is due; never cling to one pole. Most important is 'there is sincerity' (you fu 有孚) — decrease must be accompanied by good faith, or it is nothing but grasping.

南宋 · 12th c.朱熹《周易本義》Zhu XiIntroductory

朱子直言：損者，減損也；上九「弗損益之」是全卦最高境——能不減損他人而給予他人，方是真正的施與。學者觀此知：給予的最高層次是給予而不損及自己根本。

Zhu Xi puts it plainly: Sun means to decrease. The top line's 'increase without decrease' is the highest attainment of the hexagram — to give to others without taking from anyone is true giving. The student learns from this: the highest level of giving is to give without damaging your own foundation.

21 世紀現代傳承·編輯組原創Modern lineageIntroductory

損字看著是虧，卦裡講的卻是減去多餘、成全根本。卦辭「二簋可用享」先立個底：兩碗薄祭也能通神，有孚就行，排場減到最簡不算失。那該損什麼？大象答得很窄：「君子以懲忿窒欲」。要削的是怒氣和貪欲這兩樣多餘，家當倒在其次。忿欲削掉，德自然長，這就是以損為益。全卦收在上九「弗損益之，无咎，貞吉」：不虧自己的根本，還能給得出去，給予到這一步纔算到家。站在自己充足的地方施與，損卦的路走到頭就在這裡。

The character sun (損) looks like loss, but what the hexagram teaches is cutting away the surplus to serve the essential. The Judgment sets the baseline first with 'two vessels suffice for the offering': even two bowls of thin fare can reach the spirits — sincerity is enough, and stripping the ceremony to its simplest is no loss. Then what should be decreased? The Great Image answers narrowly: 'the superior man curbs anger and dams desire.' What needs trimming are those two surpluses, anger and craving; possessions come second. Cut away anger and desire and virtue grows of itself — that is turning decrease into increase. The hexagram closes at the top line, 'increase without decrease — no blame, correctness brings good fortune': keep your own foundation intact and still have something to give. Giving only counts as complete when it reaches that point. To give from a place of your own sufficiency — that is where the road of Sun ends.

注解Annotation9

損sǔn

To decrease, pare down, moderate. Not simple loss — trimming the surplus to serve the essential.

孚fú

Sincerity, good faith — the condition that makes decrease auspicious rather than mere loss.

曷hé

'How? By what means?' — the rhetorical question introducing the two-vessel answer.

簋guǐ

Ancient ritual food vessel. Two of them suffice for sacrifice — sincerity over spectacle.

遄chuán

Swiftly, without delay.

酌zhuó

To weigh, measure out — give in due proportion, not to depletion.

朋péng

Ancient unit of cowrie currency (one peng = ten shells). 'Ten peng' marks an extraordinarily precious gift.

懲忿chéng fèn

To curb anger — the first of the two inner decreases.

窒欲zhì yù

To dam desire — the second inner decrease; blocking craving at its channel.

歷史Context4

損益成對·易經之雙樞

Sun and Yi — the dual hinge of the Yi Jing

損（41）與益（42）為一對綜卦——上下顛倒就是對方。古人以此二卦為易經的「雙樞」——一切變化都在「損與益」二字。彖傳「損益盈虛，與時偕行」是哲學的最高表述。

Sun (41) and Yi (42) are a pair of inverses — turn one upside down and you get the other. The ancients took these two as the 'dual hinge' of the Yi Jing: all change lies in the two words decrease and increase. The Tuan Zhuan's 'decrease and increase, fullness and emptiness, move together with the time' is the philosophy's highest formulation.

「懲忿窒欲」·後世儒家根本

'Restrain anger, dam desire' — Confucian root

大象「君子以懲忿窒欲」一句被後世儒家用為「修身」之根本。朱熹特別重視此句，認為是讀損卦最深的一句——真正的損不是物質之損，是憤怒與慾望之損。

The Great Image's 'the superior man curbs anger and dams desire' was taken by later Confucians as the root of self-cultivation (xiu shen 修身). Zhu Xi valued this sentence especially, holding it the deepest line in reading Sun — the real decrease is not of material things, but of anger and desire.

「二簋可用享」·誠勝於形

'Two simple offerings will do' — sincerity over form

卦辭「曷之用？二簋可用享」是中國祭祀思想中「誠勝於形」的經典表達。後世「禮，與其奢也，寧儉」即與此呼應——真正的祭祀重在誠，不在物。

The Judgment's 'How is it used? Two vessels suffice for the offering' is the classic expression of 'sincerity over form' in Chinese sacrificial thought. The later maxim 'in rites, better frugal than lavish' (Analects) echoes it — true sacrifice rests on sincerity, not on the goods offered.

「三人行則損一人」·群己之辯

'Three walking, one is lost' — the dialectic of group and self

六三「三人行，則損一人；一人行，則得其友」一句深刻：群體中常有人被排擠（多則生疑），單獨行動反而能找到真正同道（少則易合）。這是中國群體心理學的早期觀察。

Line 3 — 'three walking together, one is lost; one walking alone finds his friend' — is a deep observation: in a group someone is often squeezed out (many breeds suspicion), while acting alone can find a true companion (few unite easily). This is an early piece of Chinese group psychology.

練習Practice3

char-recall
「懲忿窒欲」四字之意？為何是儒家修身根本？
What do these four characters mean and why are they Confucian root?
parse
為何「三人行則損一人，一人行則得其友」？
Why does three-walking lose one but solo-walking find a friend?
line-read
用上九「弗損益之」評論你見過的「給予而不消耗」的人。
Use line 6 to comment on someone you've seen who gives without depleting.