The name 名
The character 益 shows water lying sideways above a vessel (皿): water brimming over, the original form of 溢, 'to overflow.' From that come increase and benefit. Both Sun and Yi involve some loss and some gain. When the lower gives to the upper, the name is 'Decrease,' as a reminder that the people bear the cost. When the upper gives to the lower, the name is 'Increase': true increase is when those in power sacrifice to care for the people.
The image 象
Below is Zhèn, thunder and motion; above is Xùn, wind, wood and compliance. Wind and thunder feed each other's force, an image of daily, unceasing progress. The hexagram comes from Pi, Standstill: Pi's top line descends to become the first, 'decreasing above to increase below.' The Tuan accordingly says: 'coming down from above to below the lower, its way is greatly bright.' A leader who goes all the way down to the people lets his virtue shine. Wood above and movement below suggest a boat under way, hence 'favorable to cross the great river.'
Layers of images 層
A gua can be read on several levels at once: the trigrams as members of a family (father, mother, eldest to youngest sons and daughters), the six lines as ranks in an organisation (from newcomer to ruler), and as forces of nature and animals. Each extra level adds meaning to the line texts.
Read as a family
Below is Zhèn, the eldest son; above is Xùn, the eldest daughter: the same grown couple as in Héng, but with places swapped. In Héng the eldest son stands above and outside; here he works at the bottom and she is above. When those at the top let strength go down to the lowest level to do the work, that is “decreasing above to increase below”: surplus flows down, the needy are lifted up, and both household and state prosper.
Line 1, “it is fitting to undertake a great work; supreme good fortune”: the Xici says the ancients shaped wood into ploughs, taking the idea from Yì. Xùn is wood; lines 3–5 form a nuclear Gèn, the hand; lines 2–4 a nuclear Kūn, the earth; Zhèn is the foot pushing at the bottom. Hand holds wooden plough in soil, feet stride forward: farming. Having received help from above, Line 1 is ready for this great labour.
Line 3, “increase used in times of calamity”: Line 3 sits in the centre of the nuclear Kūn of lines 2–4, the multitude, and Kūn also means emptiness and need: people who need relief. Increase at this level goes to disasters and emergencies. The line is at the exposed top of the lower trigram and not in its proper place, so it must act with sincerity and report faithfully upward.
Line 4, “walking the middle path, he reports to the duke, who follows; it is fitting to be relied on in moving the capital”: the fourth place is the minister close to the throne, the usual seat of a “duke.” Standing between above and below, it carries word both ways; trusted above and relied on below, it can be entrusted even with moving the capital. A close minister’s worth lies in being a sound bridge.
Line 5, “with trust and a kind heart, do not ask: supreme good fortune”: from Line 1 to Line 5 the figure looks like an enlarged Lí, and Lí is the tortoise whose shell was used for divination. At Line 5 that tortoise is complete, yet the text says “do not ask”: someone who gives from genuine kindness knows the outcome without consulting any oracle.
Inverted, Yì becomes Sǔn. Sǔn comes from Tài, a lower yang rising: decrease below, increase above. Yì comes from Pǐ, the top yang descending: decrease above, increase below. Read together they show that increase never comes from nowhere; someone is always giving something up. When you draw Yì, remember whose sacrifice the benefit comes from.
Change all six lines of Yì and you get Héng, which is also Yì with its trigrams swapped. Héng puts the eldest son above and the eldest daughter below, each keeping place, aiming at endurance; Yì sends the eldest son to the bottom to till. The same couple: when preserving, they live by Héng; when building or helping the weak, they trade places as in Yì.
In sequence 序
損而不已，必益，故受之以益。
The Sequence says: decrease that goes on without end must turn to increase, so Sun is followed by Yi. Keep giving and in time it turns to gain, as an investment must be made before it can return anything. Sun and Yi are inverses: turn one upside down and you have the other. Sun's fifth line and Yi's second occupy matching places, and their texts are nearly identical.
The judgment 辭
益：利有攸往。利涉大川。
The judgment: it is favorable to have somewhere to go; it is favorable to cross the great river. This is a hexagram full of momentum. Wherever 'crossing the great river' appears, it usually involves Xun as wood or Qian as heaven, since only real strength gets one across a great river. Here wood above and movement below give the image of a boat under way: a time for vigorous action and for great undertakings.
Commentary on the judgment 彖
彖曰：益，損上益下，民說无疆，自上下下，其道大光。利有攸往，中正有慶。利涉大川，木道乃行。益動而巽，日進无疆。天施地生，其益无方。凡益之道，與時偕行。
The Tuan: decreasing above to increase below, the people's joy knows no bounds; coming down from on high to the very bottom, the way shines greatly. The fifth and second lines correspond, both central and correct, hence 'central and correct, there is blessing.' Wood moves on the water, hence 'the way of wood goes forward.' 'Increase moves and is compliant, advancing daily without limit; heaven bestows and earth brings forth, and the increase has no fixed form.' And once again it ends on timing: 'the way of increase always moves with the time.'
The great image 象
象曰：風雷，益；君子以見善則遷，有過則改。
'Wind and thunder: Increase. When the noble person sees good, he moves toward it; when he has faults, he corrects them.' These eight characters make a fine motto. Follow the good as swiftly as the wind; correct your faults as decisively as thunder. Moving toward the good looks like addition and correcting faults like subtraction, but both are increase for the self. Following someone else's good example is fairly easy. Getting rid of your own ingrained faults is harder, and it matters more.
The six lines 爻
Ruling line The first line, come down from Pi's top, is what makes the hexagram Increase; the fifth, central and correct, is the ruler who directs the giving. Both lines say 'supreme good fortune.'
The path of the six lines, bottom to top
Line 1, at the very bottom, receives help and uses it for a great undertaking, though it must do the work superbly to avoid blame. Line 2 is enriched from every side and, receiving rightly, is blessed even in its offerings to heaven. Line 3, at the top of the lower trigram, uses increase for emergencies and must report sincerely and by the rules. Line 4, entering the upper trigram, relays between above and below and becomes a bridge everyone can rely on. Line 5 gives from a sincere heart and needs no oracle to know it is blessed. At the top, giving turns into taking: no one adds to it, someone strikes it instead, and at the end of increase greed turns gain into loss.
初九利用為大作，元吉，无咎。
In plain words
Favorable for undertaking great works. Supreme good fortune; no blame.
Close reading
A yang line in a yang place, rightly placed, the first is the core of Zhen, the trigram of movement, so it can 'undertake great works'; it corresponds with the fourth. It has come down from above to support the base, the concrete act of decreasing above to increase below. The Small Image says those below need not labor to serve their superiors, because now it is the superiors who come down to care for them. Only one other first line, in Fu, Return, earns 'supreme good fortune.'
One level deeper
Line 1, “it is fitting to undertake a great work; supreme good fortune”: the Xici says the ancients shaped wood into ploughs, taking the idea from Yì. Xùn is wood; lines 3–5 form a nuclear Gèn, the hand; lines 2–4 a nuclear Kūn, the earth; Zhèn is the foot pushing at the bottom. Hand holds wooden plough in soil, feet stride forward: farming. Having received help from above, Line 1 is ready for this great labour.
If you drew this line
Support from above is behind you. This is the moment to take on something large. There is no need to court favor; just do the work well.
六二或益之，十朋之龜弗克違，永貞吉。王用享于帝，吉。
In plain words
Someone bestows a tortoise worth ten strings of cowries; it cannot be refused. Lasting steadfastness brings good fortune. The king makes offering to the Lord on High: good fortune.
Close reading
A yin line in a yin place, central and correct, corresponding with the fifth, with the first line beneath as its support. The first half of its text repeats Sun's fifth line. There the lower gave to the upper; here the upper gives to the lower, and that is why the second enjoys such fortune. The Small Image says the increase 'comes from outside': from the first line, which descended from the outer trigram, recalling how Yi arose from Pi. This is the only line text in which 帝 means the Lord on High. 'The great affairs of state are sacrifice and war,' and the offering here is the first of the 'great works' the first line spoke of.
If you drew this line
Valuable help comes from outside; do not refuse it. But stay steadfast for the long term, keep a sense of reverence, and treat the gift with due seriousness.
六三益之用凶事，无咎。有孚中行，告公用圭。
In plain words
Increase is used in times of calamity: no blame. With sincerity, walking the middle way, report to the duke bearing the jade tablet.
Close reading
A yin line in a yang place, not rightly placed, corresponding with the top line. The third and fourth lines sit at the very middle of the hexagram, so both are said to 'walk the middle way.' The third lies within the inner Kun of lines two to four: Kun is the multitude, and its empty lines suggest need, an image of a population struck by disaster. This is the second 'great work': relief. The Rites of Zhou say the jade tablet was used 'to summon the garrison and to relieve famine'; bearing it as proof of the king's order, an official could open the granaries. The Small Image says this was his duty in the first place.
One level deeper
Line 3, “increase used in times of calamity”: Line 3 sits in the centre of the nuclear Kūn of lines 2–4, the multitude, and Kūn also means emptiness and need: people who need relief. Increase at this level goes to disasters and emergencies. The line is at the exposed top of the lower trigram and not in its proper place, so it must act with sincerity and report faithfully upward.
If you drew this line
In an emergency you may draw on resources to help. Keep to good faith and the middle way, report through proper channels, and remember that helping is part of your duty.
六四中行，告公從。利用為依遷國。
In plain words
Walking the middle way, report to the duke, and he follows. It is favorable to be relied upon in moving the capital.
Close reading
A yin line in a yin place, rightly placed, it supports the fifth above and corresponds with the first below: it has something to rely on. It carries the inner Kun of lines two to four upward, and Kun means land and the multitude, hence a state. When Pi became Yi, the three yin lines shifted upward, like a people moving its capital. This is the third 'great work': relocating the capital, which affects everyone and must be explained clearly so that the people follow. The Small Image says its intent is to benefit them.
One level deeper
Line 4, “walking the middle path, he reports to the duke, who follows; it is fitting to be relied on in moving the capital”: the fourth place is the minister close to the throne, the usual seat of a “duke.” Standing between above and below, it carries word both ways; trusted above and relied on below, it can be entrusted even with moving the capital. A close minister’s worth lies in being a sound bridge.
If you drew this line
Facing a major move, transition or reorganization, you can go ahead, provided you keep to the middle and win both support from above and agreement from those affected.
The Old Duke Moves to Mount Qi
The Zhou ancestor Gugong Danfu lived in Bin, which the Di tribes kept raiding. Gifts of hides and silk, of dogs and horses, of pearls and jade did not satisfy them, for what they wanted was the land. He gathered the elders and said that land exists to nourish people, and one should not send people to their deaths for the sake of what is meant to nourish them. So he left Bin, crossed Mount Liang and settled at the foot of Mount Qi. The people of Bin said, 'This is a humane man; we must not lose him,' and followed him in crowds as if going to market. From there the Zhou rose at the foot of Qi: a perfect picture of 'favorable to be relied upon in moving the capital.'
九五有孚惠心，勿問元吉。有孚惠我德。
In plain words
With a sincere and kindly heart, there is no need to ask: supreme good fortune. Truly, the people cherish my virtue.
Close reading
Firm, central and correct, corresponding with the second, the fifth directs the whole movement of giving downward. 'Sincerity' appears twice in the text: first the sincerity of the one who gives, then the real gratitude of those who receive. Lines one to five form an enlarged Li, the tortoise used for divination; by the fifth line the tortoise is complete, hence 'no need to ask.' There is nothing left to divine, for the good fortune is plain. Beneath it lies the inner Kun, the multitude, rallying in support: the Small Image says it 'greatly attains its intent.'
One level deeper
Line 5, “with trust and a kind heart, do not ask: supreme good fortune”: from Line 1 to Line 5 the figure looks like an enlarged Lí, and Lí is the tortoise whose shell was used for divination. At Line 5 that tortoise is complete, yet the text says “do not ask”: someone who gives from genuine kindness knows the outcome without consulting any oracle.
If you drew this line
If your aim is truly to help others, you need not ask about good or bad fortune; just do it. What people consult the oracle about is mostly their own interest.
No Casting Needed to Give
People usually cast because they are unsure about a choice of their own, such as whether to buy a house or move abroad. Those choices touch their own interests, so naturally there is fortune and misfortune in them. But suppose that after a great earthquake someone casts to ask, 'Should I donate to the relief effort?' There is no need. Could giving money bring you harm? With a sincere wish to help, asking or not asking, the answer is good fortune. That is what 'no need to ask: supreme good fortune' means.
上九莫益之，或擊之，立心勿恆，凶。
In plain words
No one increases him; someone may strike him. His resolve does not hold. Misfortune.
Close reading
A yang line in a yin place, not rightly placed, the top corresponds with the third. But it stands at the extreme of Increase, where things turn into their opposite. One yang line has already come down; if this one sought to come down too, the figure would no longer be Yi. This is 'seeking increase to excess.' The Small Image calls 'no one increases him' a general statement: at the peak, who is left to add anything? 'Someone strikes him' comes from outside. The crux is 'his resolve does not hold.' Help that lacks constancy, and is regretted halfway through, has already lost its sincerity.
If you drew this line
Do not overreach, and do not waver. Settle yourself, calm your mind and build real relationships; only then act, speak or ask for help.
Settle, Calm, Befriend
The Great Commentary quotes the top line, and Confucius says: 'The noble person settles himself before he acts, calms his mind before he speaks, and establishes friendships before he asks.' Act before you are settled and you lose your footing. Speak while agitated and you either overstate or give offense. Ask without having built ties and you seem presumptuous. 'Act from danger and the people will not join you; speak from fear and they will not respond; ask without ties and they will not give. When no one is with you, those who would harm you arrive.' Yi has two lines of supreme good fortune and yet ends in misfortune: good and bad fortune often sit side by side, and carelessness is never safe.
Stories 典
Shennong Makes the Plough
The Great Commentary, recounting how the ancient sages modeled their inventions on the hexagrams, says: 'When Fu Xi had passed away, Shennong arose. He hewed wood to make the ploughshare and bent wood to make the plough handle, and taught the world the benefit of ploughing and weeding. This he took from Yi.' Why Increase? The upper trigram, Xun, is wood: the tool. Lines three to five form an inner Gen, the hand. Lines two to four form an inner Kun, the earth. The lower trigram, Zhen, is the foot, moving forward. A hand drives a wooden tool into the soil while the feet push on: a picture of ploughing. The most basic way to benefit a people is to let them feed themselves.
Pushing a Boat Over Dry Land
The Tuan says: 'favorable to cross the great river: the way of wood goes forward.' A boat goes forward only on water. The Zhuangzi offers the contrary image. Discussing Confucius' travels, Master Jin says that boats are for water and carts for land; push a boat over dry ground and in a lifetime you will not get far. Forcing the rites of the early Zhou onto the present age, he says, is like pushing a boat over land: great effort and no result. Increase is not just a matter of force; it also has to go with the current and suit the time. That is the point of the Tuan's last words: 'the way of increase always moves with the time.'
Insight 悟
Yi is about the virtue of those in charge. When a government, a manager or an owner takes a little less and looks after those below a little more, the people's joy has no bounds, and the giver's own character shines. Yi has two lines of supreme good fortune, and its three great works, sacrifice, relief and moving the capital, all serve the people. For the individual, the surest increase is to move toward the good and correct one's faults. Sincere help needs no divination, since fortune and misfortune mostly arise from calculations on one's own behalf. But at the top line, grasping for more and wavering in resolve turn good fortune into a blow. What reaches its extreme reverses; even increase must know its limits.