Hexagram 48 of 64 · King Wen order
井The Well
Jǐng · ䷯ · above: Water ☵ 坎 Kǎn · below: Wind ☴ 巽 Xùn
The inexhaustible source of spiritual and communal nourishment that remains constant through social change.A one-line gloss written for this site (AI-assisted). Everything below it is the classical text.
The Judgment 卦辭
改邑不改井，無喪無得，往來井井。汔至，亦未繘井，羸其瓶，凶。
(Looking at) Žing, (we think of) how (the site of) a town may be changed, while (the fashion of) its wells undergoes no change. (The water of a well) never disappears and never receives (any great) increase, and those who come and those who go can draw and enjoy the benefit. If (the drawing) have nearly been accomplished, but, before the rope has quite reached the water, the bucket is broken, this is evil.
James Legge, The Yî King (1882), the Text. Words in (parentheses) are Legge's own additions.
Commentary on the Judgment 彖傳 (Tuan, the first Wing)
1. (We have the symbol of) wood in the water and the raising of the water; which (gives us the idea of) a well. A well supplies nourishment and is not (itself) exhausted.
2. 'The site of a town may be changed, while the fashion of its wells undergoes no change:'—this is indicated by the central position of the strong lines (in the second and fifth places).
'The drawing is nearly accomplished, but the rope has not yet reached the water of the well:'—its service has not yet been accomplished.
'The bucket is broken:'—it is this that occasions evil.
The Image 象
木上有水，井；君子以勞民勸相。
(The trigram representing) wood and above it that for water form Žing. The superior man, in accordance with this, comforts the people, and. stimulates them to mutual helpfulness.
Legge's Great Image (Appendix II). The Chinese above also carries the Small Images of the six lines.
The six lines 爻辭
Read from the bottom (line 1) to the top (line 6). Each line: the Chinese, Legge's translation, and the Small Image commentary on it.
Line 1 初六
The first line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
井泥不食，舊井無禽。
The first SIX, divided, shows a well so muddy that men will not drink of it; or an old well to which neither birds (nor other creatures) resort.
Small Image: 'A well so muddy that men will not drink of it:'—this is indicated by the low position (of the line). 'An old well to which the birds do not come:'—it has been forsaken in the course of time.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 5, Waiting.
Line 2 九二
The second line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
井谷射鮒，甕敝漏。
The second NINE, undivided, shows a well from which by a hole the water escapes and flows away to the shrimps (and such small creatures among the grass), or one the water of which leaks away from a broken basket.
Small Image: 'A well from which by a hole the water escapes, and flows away to the shrimps:'—(the subject of this second line has) none co-operating with him (above).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 39, Obstruction.
Line 3 九三
The third line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
井渫不食，為我民惻，可用汲，王明，並受其福。
The third NINE, undivided, shows a well, which has been cleared out, but is not used. Our hearts are sorry for this, for the water might be drawn out and used. If the king were (only) intelligent, both he and we might receive the benefit of it.
Small Image: 'The well has been cleared out, but is not used:'—(even) passers-by would be sorry for this. A prayer is made 'that the king were intelligent:'—for then blessing would be received.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 29, The Abysmal.
Line 4 六四
The fourth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
井甃，無咎。
The fourth SIX, divided, shows a well, the lining of which is well laid. There will be no error.
Small Image: 'A well the lining of which is well laid. There will be no error:'—the well has been put in good repair.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 28, Preponderance of the Great.
Line 5 九五
The fifth line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
井冽，寒泉食。
The fifth NINE, undivided, shows a clear, limpid well, (the waters from) whose cold spring are (freely) drunk.
Small Image: 'The waters from the cold spring are (freely) drunk:'—this is indicated by the central and correct position (of the line).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 46, Pushing Upward.
Line 6 上六
The sixth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
井收勿幕，有孚無吉。
The topmost SIX, divided, shows (the water from) the well brought to the top, which is not allowed to be covered. This suggests the idea of sincerity. There will be great good fortune.
Small Image: 'The great good fortune' at the topmost place indicates the grand accomplishment (of the idea in the hexagram).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 57, The Gentle.
Related hexagrams
lines 2-4 below, 3-5 aboveOpposite 錯卦21. Biting Through 噬嗑
every line changedInverse 綜卦47. Oppression 困
turned upside down
A hexagram is a mirror, not a command: read it to reflect, never to obey. Sources: James Legge (tr.), The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI (Oxford, 1882; 2nd ed. 1899), public domain; the Chinese text from Project Gutenberg ebook #25501 (易經), public domain. The trigram facts and the related hexagrams are computed from the line pattern. The gloss, selection and arrangement are CC-BY-SA-4.0 (PlayfulProcess). Data: github.com/PlayfulProcess/recursive-iching.