Overview
Increase — 风雷益 (Yi) — growth.
The Hexagram
- Upper Trigram: Xun Wind
- Lower Trigram: Zhen Thunder
- Chinese Name: 风雷益 (Yi)
- English Name: Increase
- Key Meanings: Growth. Wind and thunder amplify — abundance flowing, benefit to all.
The Judgment (Guà Cí)
Increase. It furthers one to undertake something. It furthers one to cross the great water.
The Image (Xiàng Cí)
Wind and thunder: the image of Increase. Thus the superior man: if he sees good, he imitates it; if he has faults, he rids himself of them.
Symbolism Deep Dive
Wind over Thunder. Wind (Xun, gentle penetration) above; Thunder (Zhen, arousing movement) below. Wind amplifies thunder; thunder energizes wind. This mutual reinforcement is increase — not accumulation from outside but amplification from within. The hexagram is the complement of Sun (41, Decrease): what the mountain took from the lake, the wind and thunder now multiply. The superior man’s response is practical: imitate good, eliminate faults. Increase comes to those who actively learn and actively correct.
Modern Application
Increase describes growth phases: the startup that finds product-market fit, the skill that suddenly accelerates with practice, the relationship that deepens through mutual investment. The hexagram’s condition: increase must be shared. ‘It furthers one to undertake something’ — growth is for action, not hoarding. Modern application: when you experience a growth phase in your career, invest in others’ growth as well. When your knowledge increases, teach. When your wealth increases, give. Wind and thunder do not keep their energy; they release it, and in releasing, they amplify.
Key Themes
- Each theme here extracted from the hexagram’s core teaching
“The I Ching Decoded” video series — Day 46.