Hexagram 42: 益

yì — increase, expand, gain, add, augment (ing)

Upper TrigramWind
Lower TrigramThunder

Judgment

益yìincrease, expand, gain, add, augment (ing)
利lìworth(while), reward(ing), benefit(icial)
有yǒu(to) have, find, take on; (if) there is
攸yōusomewhere; (a) place, direction, purpose
往wǎngto go, move towards; in going; ahead
利lì(it is) worthwhile, rewarding, favorable
涉shèto cross, ford, ferry, venture, experience
大dà(the) great, big, major
川chuānstream, river, current, water (s)

Increase. It furthers one to undertake something. Cross the great water. Times like these don't last—use them. Execute the project. Start the build. The conditions are favorable.

Image

風fēngwind
雷léithunder
益yìincreasing
君jūnnoble, worthy, honored
子zǐyoung one, heir, disciple
以yǐaccordingly, therefore, thus
見jiànseeing, (upon) see(ing); perceive, observe
善shànvirtue, goodness; good, virtuous, excellent
則zéand (so, then)
遷qiānmoves to, migrates to; embraces, adopts
有yǒu(if, when) having; (when) there is
過guòexcess(es), fault(s), error(s)
則zéand (so, then)
改gǎicorrects, reforms; changes, alters, reforms

Wind and thunder: the image of increase. The superior man sees good and imitates it; perceives faults and eliminates them. Active self-improvement through observation and correction.

Digital Artifact

Multiplayer BBS Door Games: LORE and Legend of the Red Dragon

Seth Able Robinson (1989)

Before MMOs, there was Legend of the Red Dragon on bulletin board systems. You'd dial in with your 2400 baud modem—that screech-and-handshake connecting you to the local BBS—and you had turns. Limited moves per day. But here's what made it extraordinary: your actions affected everyone else. You killed the dragon? Everyone benefited. You gained a level? The whole server's power distribution shifted slightly upward. Strong players helping newbies wasn't charity—it was system design. The game explicitly rewarded the strong sacrificing for the weak: marriage bonuses, mentorship rewards, economic interdependence. The sysop (system operator) running the BBS had to maintain the hardware, the phone lines, often at personal expense, so the community could thrive. Increase through sacrifice of those above for those below. Thunder and wind strengthening each other. The game worked because the system was structured around generous action propagating through the network.

Historical Context

Period
Zhou Dynasty
Oracle Bone Etymology
Wind (☴) sits above, Thunder (☳) sits below—gentle penetration over arousing movement.
Traditional Use
The classical text describes increase as the strong above descending to strengthen the weak below—not forced redistribution, but natural flow like wind and thunder amplifying each other.

Lines

Line 1: 利用為大作元吉無咎

利lìworthwhile
用yòng(to be) applied? practiced? carried out?
為wéi(to) effect, accomplish, manifest, develop
大dàgreat, big, major
作zuòworks; v (of wood)
元yuánmost, supremely; excellent, outstanding
吉jípromising, fortunate; promise, opportunity
無wúno; nothing; (this is) not; without, with no
咎jiùblame; (is) wrong; (a) mistake, (an) error (s)

Line 2: 或益之十朋之龜弗克違永貞吉王用享于帝吉

或huòsomebody, someone
益yìincreases, augments, grants, adds
之zhī(to) (this) one, him, her; this
十shí(by) ten
朋péng(matched) pairs
之zhīof
龜guītortoise, turtle (s) (shells)
弗fú(one) (is) not; un-; in-; -not
克kèable; possible; capable; can- v
違wéi(of, to) resist; refuse; oppose, offend (ing)
永yǒngeverlasting; ever-, always; constant, enduring
貞zhēnpersistence, determination, resolve, focus
吉jí(is) promising, auspicious, opportune, timely
王wáng(a, the, when) sovereign, king, ruler
用yòngapplies; takes, makes, uses, practices
享xiǎng(the) offering, sacrifice
于yúto, unto, before, in the presence of
帝dìgod; (the) ruler of heaven, supreme being
吉jípromising, auspicious, opportune, timely

Line 3: 益之用凶事無咎有孚中行告公用圭

益yìincrease(ing)
之zhīis that of; is in, on, with, by
用yòng(the) way, course, path, nature, process
凶xiōngill-omened, inauspicious, calamitous; dire
事shìevents, incidents, happenings, misfortunes
無wúno; nothing; (this is) not; without, with no
咎jiùblame; (is) wrong; (a) mistake, (an) error
有yǒu(if, when) having; (when) there is
孚fúsincerity, fidelity, integrity; faith, trust
中zhōng(the) central; concentration, balance(d)
行xíngconduct, behavior, comportment; practices
告gàoannounce, report, inform, communicate
公gōng(to the) prince, noble, authority, lord
用yòng(one) uses, presents, offers, employs
圭guī(a) jade tablet; (the) seal of office, symbol

Line 4: 中行告公從利用為依遷國

中zhōng(the) central; concentration, balance(d)
行xíngconduct, behavior, comportment; practices
告gàoannounce, report, inform, communicate
公gōng(to the) prince, noble, authority, lord
從cóng(who) follows, complies, acts upon (it)
利lìworthwhile, rewarding, productive
用yòng(to be) applied, practiced, carried out
為wéi(to) effect, accomplish, manifest, develop
依yīa mainstay, support; reliance, dependence
遷qiān(in) moving, relocating, transferring
國guó(the) nation, country, state, domain, territory

Line 5: 有孚惠心勿問元吉有孚惠我德

有yǒu(if, when) having; (when) there is
孚fúsincerity, fidelity, integrity; faith, trust
惠huì(and a) kind(ly), benevolent, gracious
心xīnheart, spirit; intentions, disposition
勿wùnot at all; not to be; do not
問wènquestion, inquire; doubt, challenge
元yuánmost, supremely; excellent, outstanding
吉jípromising, fortunate; promise, opportunity
有yǒu(there is, will be) having
孚fúsincerity, fidelity, integrity; faith, trust
惠huìkind(ness), benevolent, gracious; favor(ing)
我wǒmy, mine; me, ourselves, us
德dévirtue, character, merit, integrity, spirit

Line 6: 莫益之或擊之立心勿恆凶

莫mòno one, none, nobody; nothing
益yìincreases, augments, grants, adds
之zhīthis, this one; him, her
或huòsome, someone; perhaps, maybe
擊jīstrike(s), hit(s), attack(s), assault(s)
之zhīthis, this one; him, her
立lì(to) establish, found; position, stance
心xīnheart, spirit; intentions, disposition
勿wùnot at all; not to be; do not; avoid
恆héngconstancy, steadfastness, perseverance
凶xiōng(is) ill-omened, inauspicious; has pitfalls

Practical Guidance

You're experiencing actual growth. Not the aspirational kind, not the hockey-stick projection in the deck—real expansion of capability happening right now. The system's working, resources are available, momentum exists. Here's what this probably means: you have a window. Every developer who's experienced a truly functional team knows the feeling—features shipping, bugs getting fixed, communication flowing. It's tempting to think it will last forever. It won't. Teams change, requirements shift, resources get reallocated. The move isn't to hoard the increase or protect it defensively. The move is to build something during this window. Those BBS sysops didn't save their resources for later—they expanded the door game selections, upgraded the hardware, added more phone lines. They used the increase to generate further increase while it was available. Same principle in your code: when you've got momentum, when the architecture's solid and the team's aligned—that's when you tackle the ambitious refactor, implement the complex feature, pay down the technical debt you've been carrying. Not recklessly, but decisively. The classical text is correct about the danger: this state is temporary. It's a window. Use it well, or watch it close.

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