Hexagram 48
Jing / The Well
䷯
井 · Jǐng
Upper: Water (Kan) · Lower: Wind/Wood (Xun)
The Well — water above wood, the wooden bucket drawing water from the depth. The deep sustaining source that nourishes whoever comes; the unchanging foundation beneath changing circumstances.
Core theme
The well; the deep sustaining source; the unchanging foundation that nourishes regardless of who comes
Overview
Jing depicts the metaphor of the well — the deep source of water that nourishes whoever comes to draw from it. Water above wood (the bucket and rope) — the natural mechanism of drawing from depth. The well itself doesn't change as cities are built and abandoned around it; it remains as the constant sustaining source. The hexagram represents the deep foundation beneath changing circumstances; the inner source that nourishes regardless of outer change.
The Wilhelm/Baynes commentary uses the well metaphor for human nature — the deep wisdom and capacity that exists in everyone and that nourishes whoever genuinely draws from it. The well requires maintenance (don't let it become muddy; don't lose the bucket-rope) but its essential nature doesn't change. The hexagram counsels attending to the deep source rather than getting lost in surface changes.
The Judgment
The Well. The town may be changed, but the well cannot be changed. It neither decreases nor increases. They come and go and draw from the well. If one gets down almost to the water and the rope does not go all the way, or the jug breaks, it brings misfortune.
The Image
Water over wood: the image of The Well. Thus the superior person encourages the people at their work, and exhorts them to help one another.
Meaning
Jing teaches the wisdom of attending to the deep source. The Judgment's central image — the town changes but the well does not — captures the principle. Surface circumstances change continuously; the deep source remains. Wisdom is in attending to the source rather than the surface.
The Judgment also warns: if the rope doesn't reach the water or the jug breaks, misfortune. The well's nourishment is real but requires the means to draw from it. The practitioner who has the depth available but lacks the means to access it produces misfortune. Maintain both the source and the means.
Application — when this hexagram appears
When this hexagram appears: situations involve attending to deep sources rather than surface circumstances.
The practitioner should: (1) recognize the deep source available beneath changing circumstances; (2) maintain the means to draw from the source (the rope and jug); (3) avoid getting lost in surface changes; (4) extend the source's nourishment to others; (5) trust the unchanging nature of the deep foundation.
The six lines (changing-line commentary)
Line 1 (bottom)
One does not drink the mud of the well. No animals come to an old well. The well has gone bad — muddy, abandoned, even animals don't come. The deep source has been neglected. Address the maintenance; the well needs cleaning before it can serve.
Line 2
At the wellhole one shoots fishes. The jug is broken and leaks. The well is being misused — fish swimming in it (which means the water is stagnant), and the jug for drawing is broken. Multiple failures of the system. Major repair needed.
Line 3
The well is cleaned, but no one drinks from it. This is my heart's sorrow, for one might draw from it. If the king were clear-minded, good fortune might be enjoyed in common. Cleaned well that no one uses. The source is available but not being drawn from. Sorrow at the wasted opportunity. The line wishes for the king's clear mind that would recognize the available source; common good fortune awaits if recognition comes.
Line 4
The well is being lined. No blame. Active maintenance work. The well is being repaired/lined; no blame from the work in progress. Sometimes the source needs structural work before it can serve; this work is appropriate.
Line 5
In the well there is a clear, cold spring from which one can drink. The well at its best — clear cold spring, drinkable water. The deep source functioning fully. The line is among the most positive in the hexagram.
Line 6 (top)
One draws from the well without hindrance. It is dependable. Supreme good fortune. The fullest realization: well functioning perfectly; drawn from without hindrance; dependable; supreme good fortune. The complete success of attending to the deep source.
Timing
Periods involving foundational sources, deep wisdom, sustaining infrastructure. Long-term development cycles. The maintenance phases.
FAQ
What's the well a metaphor for?
Multiple applications: human nature's deep wisdom; the sustaining source beneath any community; the underlying capacity that doesn't change as circumstances change. The well is the metaphor's flexibility — apply it to whatever deep source is relevant in your situation.
Why does the well need maintenance?
The deep source remains, but the means of drawing from it can deteriorate. Rope wears out; jug breaks; well opening fills with mud or debris. Maintenance work keeps the means functional. The hexagram's wisdom: attend not just to the source but to the systems that allow drawing from it.
What if my well has gone muddy?
Line 1's image. The deep source can be neglected and become unusable through neglect. The remedy: clean it. Address what has accumulated as obstruction; clear the well; the source itself is still there beneath the muddiness.
What about line 3's sorrow?
The deepest poignancy of the hexagram: cleaned well that no one uses. The source is available, the means functional, but no one comes to draw. The line wishes for clear-minded recognition that would lead to the common good. Sometimes the work is done but recognition lags; sustain the work; recognition can come.
How do I find my own well?
Examine what in your life remains constant beneath changing circumstances — what you can return to regardless of what's happening externally. Could be specific practices, deep values, foundational relationships, established skills. Whatever is your unchanging source despite outer change is your well; attend to it; maintain the means of drawing from it.
Astrological correspondence
Elements
water, wood
Water (Kan) above Wind/Wood (Xun) — the trigram pair carries Chinese five-phase (wuxing) elemental correspondences that anchor the hexagram in elemental cycles.