Cutting Back
sǔn · Mountain over LakeAsk what you can drop, and offer less with more heart.
有孚，元吉。无咎，可貞，利有攸往。曷之用？二簋可用享。
Cutting back with sincerity is deeply good. It leaves you blameless and free to move. What do you need to offer? Two simple bowls of food are enough for the rite.
The six lines
初九：已事遄往，无咎，酌損之。
Finish your own task, then go quickly to help. Weigh how much you give, so that what you take from yourself fits the need.
九二：利貞，征凶，弗損益之。
Stay where you are and steady. Charging out is risky here. You can help others without giving yourself away; sometimes not subtracting adds.
六三：三人行，則損一人；一人行，則得其友。
Three walking together lose one; one walking alone finds a friend. Pairs form naturally, so do not fear the shift in company.
六四：損其疾，使遄有喜，无咎。
Reduce the fault that troubles you, and do it soon. Others will be glad to see it, and no blame follows.
六五：或益之，十朋之龜弗克違，元吉。
Help may arrive unasked, and even a tortoise oracle worth ten strings of shells could not argue against it. This is deeply good; receive it humbly.
上九：弗損益之，无咎，貞吉，利有攸往，得臣无家。
You give without losing anything of your own. Moving ahead looks right, and people may join your cause for its own sake, beyond family ties.
The I Ching is a tool for reflection. Do not use it as the basis for medical, legal or money decisions.