Table of Contents

Hexagram 41The Diminution

Upper : Mountain (Gen) - ☶Lower : Lake (Dui) - ☱

The Judgment

"Diminution coupled with sincerity brings sublime fortune without blame. One may undertake something. Two small bowls may serve for the sacrifice."

The Lake situated below evaporates to moisten the Mountain above. That which is below is diminished to enrich that which is above. This is the principle of fasting, voluntary simplicity, or sacrifice. Less material comfort for greater spiritual elevation. It is not necessary to offer luxurious sacrifices to the gods (or to life): the sincerity of the heart, even with two humble bowls of rice, holds more value than opulence.

The Image

"At the foot of the mountain is the lake: the image of diminution. Thus the noble man tames his anger and restrains his instincts."

Diminishing the brute force of reactive emotions allows for the nourishment of the mind's clarity.

Psychological Meaning (Jungian Perspective)

This is the essence of psychological sacrifice. For the Self to grow, the Ego must accept diminution. You must renounce immediate gratification, childish attachment, or intellectual pride. By diminishing your illusions of control and accepting lack, you create the empty space necessary for a broader consciousness to emerge. Less noise, more meaning.

Quantum Perspective

The Exportation of Entropy (Prigogine's theory). A complex living system can only maintain its high degree of internal order by continually expelling entropy (disorder, heat) into the environment. "Diminution" is this process of sorting: discarding the superfluous, simplifying the structure to maintain the vital quantum coherence of the core.

Previous Hexagram#40 Next Hexagram#42

Back