Hexagram 42
IncreaseYì 益
Also translated as Gain, Augmenting, Benefit.
Wind / Wood above Thunder below
Wind and thunder strengthen each other. Yi is a time of increase: resources flow down from above to strengthen what is below, and the energy is there to undertake great things. Use it well and promptly, because such times don't last. The best increase is growth in character: adopting what is good, correcting what is wrong.
Judgment
益：利有攸往，利涉大川。
Increase: favorable to have somewhere to go. Favorable to cross the great river.
Image
風雷，益；君子以見善則遷，有過則改。
Wind and thunder together: increase. Taking this as a model, the noble one moves toward the good as soon as they see it, and changes as soon as they find a fault.
- Growth and gain
- Generosity from above
- Undertaking great things
- Self-improvement
- Seizing a favorable time
- increase
- growth
- benefit
- generosity
- opportunity
- improvement
- Use favorable times for meaningful undertakings.
- Increase that is shared multiplies.
- Grow by imitating good and correcting faults.
The six lines
Lines are numbered from the bottom. In a reading, only the lines that are changing apply to your cast.
Line 1Nine at the beginning 初九
Line text
利用為大作，元吉，无咎。
Favorable to undertake a great work. Supreme good fortune, no blame.
Support from above gives you the means to do something significant. Use it fully and selflessly, and it will justify the trust placed in you.
- Great undertaking
- Justifying support
- Wasting support you have received
- Accomplishing something important
Line 2Six in the second place 六二
Line text
或益之十朋之龜，弗克違，永貞吉。王用享于帝，吉。
Someone adds to it: tortoise shells worth ten strings of cowries, which cannot be refused. Lasting steadfastness: good fortune. The king makes an offering to the Lord on High: good fortune.
Good fortune comes naturally because you are receptive and steady. Keep your steadiness, and stay aware that the gift comes from something greater than you.
- Receptivity to blessing
- Gratitude
- Taking blessings as your own achievement
- Lasting good fortune
Line 3Six in the third place 六三
Line text
益之用凶事，无咎。有孚中行，告公用圭。
Increased by means of misfortune: no blame. With sincerity, walking the middle way, one reports to the duke bearing a jade tablet.
Gain can come through hardship. As long as you act sincerely and transparently, benefit from difficult events is without blame.
- Gain through hardship
- Transparency
- Exploiting misfortune
- Turning difficulty into growth
Line 4Six in the fourth place 六四
Line text
中行，告公從。利用為依遷國。
Walking the middle way, one reports to the duke, and he follows. Favorable to be relied on in moving the capital.
As a trusted intermediary, you can bring about important change, even something as large as relocating a capital. Balanced counsel is heard.
- Trusted intermediary
- Large-scale change
- Partisan advice
- Making a major change possible
Line 5Nine in the fifth place 九五
Line text
有孚惠心，勿問元吉。有孚惠我德。
Sincere, with a kind heart: no need to ask; supreme good fortune. There is sincerity, and my kindness is recognized as virtue.
Genuine kindness needs no calculation or reward. It is recognized naturally and brings the best outcome.
- Genuine kindness
- Benevolence without calculation
- Kindness as a strategy
- Goodwill returned many times
Line 6Nine at the top 上九
Line text
莫益之，或擊之，立心勿恆，凶。
No one adds to him; someone even strikes him. His resolve is not constant. Misfortune.
Someone who only seeks their own gain is abandoned and even attacked. Without steady generosity, increase turns into loss.
- Selfishness backfiring
- Inconstancy
- Taking without giving
- Changing course toward generosity
Related hexagrams
Have a question on your mind?
Cast a readingChinese text: Zhouyi 周易 (received classical text). English rendering and notes: Site rendering. About our sources
Commentary
Yi is the counterpart of Decrease: here the upper trigram gives to the lower, as a good leader gives to the people, and everyone is strengthened. Wind and thunder intensify each other. The reading may suggest a period of expansion, support and opportunity, when effort is rewarded and bold undertakings, crossing the great river, are favored.
The image applies increase to character. When you see what is good, move toward it; when you see a fault in yourself, change it, as quickly and decisively as wind and thunder. The lines warn that increase used selfishly turns against you. In relation to a question, Yi may emphasize acting on opportunity, generosity and learning.