Compensating Sacrifice

損 (sǔn)
Hexagram 41 • Binary: 100011

Trigrams

Upper: Mountain

Attribute: Keeping Still
Element: Earth
Direction: Northeast
Family: Youngest Son

Lower: Lake

Attribute: Joyous
Element: Metal
Direction: West
Family: Youngest Daughter

Palace

Gen Palace

Element: Earth
Ruling Trigram: mountain

Judgment

Compensating Sacrifice means that sincerely maintained rectitude brings great success. Action is appropriate if one's sacrifice is sincere -- even two baskets of grain, though there be nothing else, may be offered.

Image

The image of a mountain and beneath it the waters of a marsh form Compensating Sacrifice. The superior man, in accordance with this, restrains his wrath and represses his desires.

Lines

1

Position 1: Hurrying to Help yang

The first line, dynamic, 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 for the other.

2

Position 2: Maintaining Correctness yin

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

3

Position 3: Finding a Friend yin

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

4

Position 4: Diminishing Ailment yin

The fourth line, magnetic, shows its subject diminishing the ailment under which she labors by making the subject of the first line hasten to her help, and make her glad. There will be no error.

5

Position 5: Increasing Stores yang

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

6

Position 6: Giving Increase yang

The sixth line, dynamic, 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 counted by their clans.