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Chapter 41 of 64
东坡易传
Mountain (Gen) above, Lake (Dui) below
Sun (Decrease): With sincerity in the heart, great fortune, and no fault. One may uphold correctness and benefit from having somewhere to go. What does this mean in practice? Even two shallow baskets of simple offerings are sufficient to honor the gods.
The Tuan Zhuan says: "Sun" means decreasing what is below to benefit what is above; its movement is upward in direction.
When yang transforms into yin, it is called "decrease"; when yin transforms into yang, it is called "increase." The Dui trigram originates from the Qian trigram, receiving the giving of the Kun trigram to become Dui — this is decreasing what is below. The Gen trigram originates from the Kun trigram, receiving the giving of the Qian trigram to become Gen — this is increasing what is above. The "Yi" (Increase) hexagram works the same way, so within "Sun" there is never absent "Yi," and within "Yi" there is never absent "Sun." Yet as hexagram names, only one aspect is taken. Why? Because the noble person devotes themselves to understanding what is distant and great. Decreasing subordinates to benefit oneself — the noble person views this as self-decrease; decreasing oneself to benefit subordinates — the noble person views this as self-increase.
"If there is sincerity in decrease, then there is great fortune and no fault."
There must be a principle behind decreasing subordinates while gaining their trust. Mencius said: "When one employs the people through the way of ease, though they labor, they do not complain; when one puts criminals to death through the way of preserving life, though they die, they do not resent the one who killed them." When the people understand that the reason for decreasing them is entirely to benefit them, they will trust. Decrease is what subordinates worry about, yet if the people do not count the cost of their worries and are willing to bear it, then the benefit brought by this decrease must be sufficient to alleviate what they worry about. If the benefit is not enough to alleviate their worries, and the increase is not enough to compensate for the loss, then decrease will bring harm. Therefore, only in the case of "great fortune" can there be "no fault." When those above decrease us, is it truly for nothing? It is the foundation of great fortune — only then can there be "no fault."
"One may uphold correctness, and it is beneficial to have somewhere to go. 'What is its use? Two shallow baskets are sufficient for offering.'" The response of the two baskets has its timing; decreasing the firm to benefit the yielding has its timing; decrease and increase, fullness and emptiness, all move in accordance with the times.
"With sincerity, great fortune, no fault" — this refers to the upper trigram. "One may uphold correctness, and it is beneficial to have somewhere to go. What is its use? Two shallow baskets are sufficient for offering" — this refers to the lower trigram. Decreasing what is below to benefit what is above: its path moves upward, yet what is below cannot lack the path of correctness. If one thinks the way of decrease only moves upward and that nothing below need remain correct, that would be a mistake. Therefore "Sun" has the way of "upholding correctness," and Nine in the Second Place embodies this. If all remain correct and do not go forward, there would be no one above; if all go forward without remaining correct, there would be no one below. Hence it says "one may uphold correctness, and it is beneficial to have somewhere to go." There are those who go and those who remain correct, hence "what is its use" — "what is its use" means making a choice. "Two baskets" refers to the two yang lines of the Dui trigram. The Dui trigram originates from Qian, and Six in the Third Place sacrifices itself for those above, thus transforming from yang to yin. The Initial Nine and Nine in the Second Place, though their hearts incline toward those above, do not sacrifice themselves, so they remain unchanged. Setting out vessels in sacrifice merely expresses one's intention — did I truly give something? Did the gods truly take something? When the noble person benefits others, there are also cases where nothing material is given, yet others receive endless benefit. However, these two yang lines both correspond to the upper trigram: the Initial Nine "goes swiftly," while Nine in the Second Place "action brings misfortune." Hence "the response of the two baskets has its timing" — meaning though there is response, the timing of going must be grasped.
The Xiang Zhuan says: Mountain below with Lake - this is the image of the Sun hexagram. The noble person, through this, curbs anger and restrains desire.
Initial Nine: When one's own affairs are settled, go swiftly — no fault. Consider how much to decrease.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "One's own affairs settled, go swiftly" — this honors alignment with the intention of those above.
The Tuan Zhuan says: "Decrease and increase, fullness and emptiness, move in accordance with the times." Then decrease and increase are measured according to fullness and emptiness. The Initial Nine as a yang line has not yet been decreased, so it is at fullness; Six in the Fourth Place as a yin line has not yet received benefit, so it remains in emptiness. When what is below is full and what is above remains empty, then going cannot be delayed. Therefore, even if I have affairs on hand, I should set them aside for the moment and go swiftly. When going arises from my own will, then how much to decrease can be measured by me. If one hesitates and does not advance, and only goes after being compelled by the situation above, then even if one wants to measure, it will be impossible, and the loss will certainly be greater. Therefore, when circumstances make decrease unavoidable, only by "going swiftly" can there be "no fault."
Nine in the Second Place: Beneficial to uphold correctness; action brings misfortune. Without decreasing oneself, one benefits others.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "Nine in the Second Place benefits from upholding correctness" — taking the middle way as one's own aspiration.
The Initial Nine has already decreased itself, and Six in the Fourth Place has already received benefit. Then Nine in the Second Place, with respect to Six in the Fifth Place, should not go forward again. Hence "beneficial to uphold correctness; action brings misfortune." Though one does not go in action, the heart yearns toward it, hence "without decreasing oneself, one benefits others." This says that Nine in the Second Place benefits Six in the Fifth Place by not diminishing itself. The three lines of the Dui trigram all take benefiting those above as their aspiration: the Initial Nine aligns action with intention, hence "honoring the union of aspirations"; Nine in the Second Place only yearns in intention, hence "taking the middle as one's aspiration." When one benefits others by decreasing oneself, the benefit is limited to what was decreased; when one benefits others without decreasing oneself, the benefit is limitless. Therefore, Six in the Third Place of the Sun hexagram and Six in the Fourth Place of the Yi hexagram both benefit others through self-decrease; while Nine in the Second Place of the Sun hexagram and Nine in the Fifth Place of the Yi hexagram both benefit others without self-diminishment. Precisely because there is no self-diminishment, those who receive their benefit all obtain a reward as precious as the "ten-pair tortoise."
Six in the Third Place: When three people travel together, one is diminished; when one person travels alone, one gains a friend.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "One person travels" — when three travel together, suspicion arises.
The three lines of the Dui trigram all take benefiting those above as their aspiration, hence "three people travel." In the end, only Six in the Third Place sacrifices its own body to benefit those above, hence "one is diminished," and also "one person travels." "Friend" refers to Nine in the Second Place. Six in the Third Place sacrifices itself for those above, enabling Nine in the Second Place to avoid going forth — this is what Nine in the Second Place deeply appreciates. Hence "when one person travels alone, one gains a friend." In terms of intention, all three are going forward; in terms of action, only one does. When the noble person serves those above, intentions are the same but actions differ, so those above do not harbor suspicion. If all three went with identical actions, then those above would think I came with ulterior motives, and the principle of advance and retreat would be diminished.
Six in the Fourth Place: Decreasing one's defect, enabling swift arrival brings joy — no fault.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "Decreasing one's defect" — this too is a cause for joy.
"Swift" refers to the Initial Nine. What is decreased below is limited, while what those above seek to gain is without end — this is what those below worry about. If I remove this defect, then the one who "comes swiftly" will delight in me. From the perspective of the Initial Nine, "affairs settled, going swiftly" — then Six in the Fourth Place's demands on me are few, hence "consider how much to decrease." From the perspective of Six in the Fourth Place, "decreasing one's defect" — then the Initial Nine's following me becomes easy, hence "swift arrival brings joy."
Six in the Fifth Place: Someone benefits it — a tortoise worth ten pairs; one cannot refuse — great fortune.
The Xiang Zhuan says: Six in the Fifth Place's "great fortune" — this is blessing from heaven above.
Six in the Fifth Place is the subject of receiving benefit, but not the position of receiving benefit. Being the subject of receiving benefit yet not occupying the position of receiving benefit — this is one who does not seek benefit. Not seeking benefit, yet all things naturally come to benefit it, hence "someone." "Someone" means I do not know from where it comes. The "tortoise worth ten pairs" is the benefit of Nine in the Second Place's "not decreasing oneself." How does a tortoise benefit a person? It gives nothing to the person, and the person takes nothing from the tortoise — one merely emulates its wisdom. Six in the Fifth Place, with respect to Nine in the Second Place, seeks nothing — "blessing from above." And Nine in the Second Place willingly offers wisdom; even if one wanted to avoid it, it would be impossible. Precisely because it cannot be refused, one knows it does not come from seeking, hence "great fortune."
Top Nine: Without decreasing oneself, benefit others — no fault; correct and auspicious; beneficial to have somewhere to go. One gains ministers, without a home.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "Without decreasing oneself, benefiting others" — this greatly fulfills one's aspiration.
Top Nine is the position of receiving benefit and cannot have decrease. Yet the kindness of Six in the Third Place cannot go unrepaid, so one benefits it without decreasing oneself — in this way, one's aspiration is greatly fulfilled. Six in the Third Place forgot its own home and family to follow me; I have received its immense kindness. If I remain at ease and go nowhere, then I am merely using its offering to fatten myself. Hence "beneficial to have somewhere to go" — only then can one bear this kindness without shame.
The essence of the Sun hexagram lies in the problem of trust in resource redistribution. Su Shi's interpretation reveals a core principle: the real meaning of "decrease" is not in the material reduction itself, but in whether the one decreased understands and trusts the ultimate direction of the decrease. The hexagram statement begins with "having sincerity" — without trust, any decrease will trigger resistance and harm; with trust, even two shallow baskets of offerings suffice to move heaven and earth.
Su Shi further proposes a highly illuminating distinction: "benefiting others through self-decrease" versus "benefiting others without self-decrease." The former, like Six in the Third Place sacrificing itself for those above, yields limited benefit; the latter, like Nine in the Second Place offering wisdom to Six in the Fifth Place, yields limitless benefit. This distinction breaks through the simple binary opposition of "decrease = giving, increase = receiving," revealing that higher-level "increase" often does not come from material self-sacrifice.
In contemporary organizational management and interpersonal relationships, the Sun hexagram contains profound change management wisdom:
| Scenario | Sun Hexagram Insight | Action Suggestion |
|---|---|---|
| Team Management | Resource reduction requires transparent communication | Establish a "decrease-to-increase transformation" narrative framework, letting members see the logic of gain behind the reduction |
| Personal Growth | Self-discipline and desire management | Transform "curbing anger and restraining desire" into time management and focus strategies — proactively "decrease" ineffective consumption |
| Cooperative Relationships | "When one person travels alone, one gains a friend" | Maintain differentiated roles in cooperation, avoiding the suspicion and responsibility diffusion caused by homogeneous pursuits |
| Investment Decisions | Grasping the rhythm of fullness and emptiness | Proactively reduce positions when assets are overvalued (decrease), decisively enter when undervalued (increase), moving with the cycle |
Hypothesis-Action-Review Framework: When facing a "decrease" decision, first hypothesize the expected return of the reduction (e.g., can reducing a certain investment yield core capability improvement), formulate a specific "considered decrease" plan (how much to decrease, when), and after execution, review the trust level changes of those decreased (or oneself) and the actual landing points of gains, iterating accordingly.
In his annotations, Su Shi proposes a unique proposition: "Within decrease, there is never absent increase; within increase, there is never absent decrease." This is not mere dialectical rhetoric but points to a kind of relational thinking — within an interdependent system, any change in one party will in some way feedback to the other. The noble person "devotes themselves to understanding what is distant and great," meaning that evaluating decrease and increase cannot be limited to immediate partial gains and losses, but must be examined within a longer timeframe and a broader systemic perspective.
The theory of "same intention, different actions" reveals the inner paradox of collective action: when everyone's intentions are the same but their modes of action differ, the whole is actually more robust; when everyone expresses the same intention through identical external actions, it triggers suspicion from those above. This insight provides classical Chinese philosophical evidence for the "value of diversity" in contemporary organizational behavior studies.
On a deeper level, "two shallow baskets are sufficient for offering" demonstrates that: the efficacy of sincerity does not depend on the quantity of material things. The value of sacrifice lies not in what is offered, but in the transcendental dimension toward which the offerer's intention points. This provides modern people with a spiritual path of liberation from material comparison.
Related Concepts:
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