شش خطی 41
کاهش دادن (Sun)

Reduction means diminishing excess. As for the qualities of the hexagram, above is mountain , still, and below is lake , joyous: Having something to rejoice over, yet immediately stilling it, by stilling the joy there is no errant thought. In the body of the hexagram, in the second and fifth lines strength and flexibility are balanced, emptiness and fullness are in accord; strength does not become rambunctious, flexibility does not become weakness. Diminishing what is excessive, adding to what is insufficient—thus it is called reduction.

This hexagram represents the existence of increase within reduction; it follows on the previous hexagram halting. In halting, one can stop where there is danger, preserving the primordial Tao in the midst of the temporal. But if you want to preserve the primordial, it is necessary to remove acquired conditioning; and to remove acquired conditioning means to travel the path of reduction.

However, reduction as a path means not following desires but stopping desires; many people cannot be sincere in it. If one cannot be sincere, one may start but will not finish; then not only will one fail to gain good fortune, one will also bring on blame. If one can be sincere, every thought is true; sincerity in the mind naturally shows in action. Then good fortune comes even though one does not try to bring it about; as one does not bring about fault, fault is naturally nonexistent.

But even though sincerity in reduction is certainly auspicious and surely impeccable, it is most important that sincerity be correct, that reduction be correct. People in the world who contemplate voidness, stick to quietude, forget about people, forget about their own bodies, and go on like this all their lives without change, are certainly sincere about reduction, but they are faithful to what they should not be faithful to, and reduce what they should not reduce—thus there is decrease with increase, which is still faulty.

So if one can be correct in sincerity, discern whether it is right or wrong, distinguish whether it is false or true, understand it in the mind and prove it in actual events, “there is somewhere to go,” to the benefit of all. But while the benefit of going somewhere is beneficial insofar as sincerity is correct and reduction is correct, actual practice in real life is most important, to finish what has been started. As long as one has not yet reached the serene, equanimous realm of the middle way, work cannot be stopped; one must daily reduce for the sake of the Tao, daily increasing one’s accomplishment. Reducing and reducing again, increasing and increasing again, until there is no more to be reduced and no more to be increased, so strength and softness correspond, inside and outside merge with the Tao, in perfect goodness without evil, wholly integrated with the design of nature—only then is the work of reduction and increase no longer needed.

Therefore the text says, “What is the use of the two bowls? They can be used to receive.” A bowl is something hollow and round; the “two bowls” are the balance of strength and flexibility represented by the second and fifth lines in correspondence. When strength and flexibility are balanced, there is flexibility in strength and strength in flexibility; strength and flexibility are as one. The vitalities of the second and fifth lines subtly join and congeal, returning to the basis, going back to the origin; the spiritual embryo takes on form, and from this one receives the bliss of freedom and nonstriving. One’s fate now depends on oneself, not on heaven. Be sincere in reduction, and within reduction there is increase. This is no small matter.

Reduction means decrease. Above is mountain below is lake ; there is a lake under a mountain. The mountain is above, the lake is below; as the mountain is invaded by the moisture of the lake, it does not rise high, and as the lake is limited by the mountain, it does not overflow—there is gain within reduction. This is the image of reduction.

What superior people see in this is that the violence in people erupts as wrath, the self-interest in people emerges as cupidity; once wrath and cupidity arise, they corrode natural reality, so their harm is very great. Therefore superior people control their wrath, striving to change their temperament, so that their nature and feelings are harmonious and peaceful, as steady as a mountain. They quell cupidity, striving to eliminate wandering thoughts, so that their minds die and their spirits live, still and clear as a lake without waves.

Wrath is something that impedes the Way, cupidity is a bandit that disturbs the Way. If wrath and cupidity are not completely cleared up, even if the great Way is in sight it cannot be fully accomplished. Therefore the first step in practicing the Tao is to eliminate wrath and cupidity; when one reduces away anger and desire, the work after that will be unobstructed, and there is hope for the way ahead.

This is why Confucians consider it essential to conquer the self and return to propriety, Buddhists consider reduction of myriad phenomena to emptiness fundamental, and Taoists consider self-refinement to set up the foundation as primary. The sages of all three teachings first taught people to get rid of personal wrath and cupidity.

The Taoist master Tz'u-yang said, "If you want to cultivate the restorative elixir to perfection, first you must refine yourself and master your mind." Refining oneself means refining away this wrath and cupidity; mastering the mind means to control the mind and not give rise to wrath and cupidity. If students are able, while in the midst of reduced reality, to reverse themselves and reduce falsehood, then it will not be difficult to practice the Tao.