益Yi · Increase
In one sentence
There is help and there is gain; a good time to go ahead boldly.
A hexagram of increase: benefit is flowing your way. It is favorable for big undertakings and big crossings. Go ahead and do it. When you see something good in others, learn it; when you find a mistake in yourself, fix it — that is the most solid increase there is.
Asking about work, love or money
- Work
- There is help and there is gain, and the benefit is flowing your way. It is a good time to go ahead freely: the big thing you have long thought about, the hard pass to get through, you can take them on. When you see someone doing well, learn from it; when you find you are wrong, correct it. That is the most solid kind of growth.
- Love
- In love, this is a time when you add to each other, a good time to take a bold step forward: saying how you feel, meeting the family, committing, all of these can be done. When you see something good in the other person, learn it; when you are at fault, correct it. Being together is about making each other better.
- Money
- With money, there is help, and the benefit is flowing your way. It is a good time to go ahead freely, even with something larger. When you have earned, share some with the people who follow you; gain of that kind lasts. When you find your method is wrong, correct it at once. That is worth more than one extra profit.
This is the hexagram as a whole. If your cast has changing lines, the line text governs; each line's page has its own reading for work, love and money.
The judgment
In plain wordsIt is favorable to act; you can cross the great river.
The Tuan commentary
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。
Yi: what is above is decreased and what is below is increased; the joy of the people is without bounds. Coming from above and placing itself beneath those below, its way shines greatly. "It is favorable to have somewhere to go": central and correct, there is cause for celebration. "It is favorable to cross the great river": the way of wood is at work. Yi moves and is gentle; it advances day by day without bounds. Heaven bestows and earth gives birth; their increase has no set direction. In every case the way of increase goes along with the time.
The Tuan (“judgment”) commentary is one of the Ten Wings. It explains the hexagram name and the judgment from the two trigrams and the positions of the lines.
The image
風雷益。君子以見善則遷，有過則改。
Wind and thunder: Yi (Increase). The noble one, seeing good, moves toward it; having faults, corrects them.
The lines
Nine at the beginning
Text利用為大作，元吉，无咎。It is favorable to undertake great works. Supreme good fortune, no blame.In plain wordsA good time to use this help to do something big. But having received favor from above, you must do it supremely well before you are free of blame. More on this line →
Six in the second place
Text或益之十朋之龜，弗克違，永貞吉。王用享于帝，吉。Someone increases one with a tortoise worth ten pairs of shells; it cannot be refused. Staying true for the long run brings good fortune. The king makes an offering to the Lord on High. Good fortune.In plain wordsSomeone brings you a priceless tortoise, and you could not turn it down if you tried. Stay true for the long run: good fortune. For a king who draws this line when making offerings to Heaven: good fortune. More on this line →
Six in the third place
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, report to the duke with the jade tablet.In plain wordsA misfortune is used to help you along — knocking you, startling you, is really helping you. No blame. Be sincere at heart, keep to the middle way, and when something comes up, report it formally to those above. More on this line →
Six in the fourth place
Text中行告公從，利用為依遷國。Walking the middle way, report to the duke and he follows. It is favorable to be relied upon in moving the capital.In plain wordsKeep to the middle way and go speak to those above; your advice will be taken. A good time to use this trust to do something as big as moving the capital. More on this line →
Nine in the fifth place
Text有孚惠心，勿問元吉。有孚惠我德。There is sincerity and a kind heart. Do not ask: supreme good fortune. There is sincerity, and kindness returned to my virtue.In plain wordsBe kind to people wholeheartedly; no need to ask, it is great good fortune. Others will sincerely repay your goodness too. More on this line →
Nine at the top
Text莫益之，或擊之。立心勿恆，凶。No one brings increase; someone strikes instead. The heart is set without constancy. Misfortune.In plain wordsNo one comes to help you, and someone comes to strike you. Insatiably greedy, and fickle at heart besides: misfortune. More on this line →
Lines are counted from the bottom. “Nine” is a yang (solid) line, “six” a yin (broken) line. A line applies to your reading only when it is a changing line.
Related hexagrams
Primary, resulting, nuclear, opposite and inverted hexagrams explained →
In the hexagram calendar
In the Tang monk Yixing’s Dayan calendar, Yi belongs to the third pentad of Start of Spring, “Fish rise beneath the ice” (February 14 to February 18, 2027).