水风井
Hexagram 48 describes the well — a deep, inexhaustible source of nourishment that serves the community regardless of changing circumstances. Towns may move, but the well remains. The hexagram teaches about the unchanging source within that sustains life and about the importance of maintaining access to that source.
井：改邑不改井，无丧无得，往来井井。汔至，亦未繘井，羸其瓶，凶。
井养而不穷：城邑可迁而井不可移，取之不竭、予之不损；但若功亏一篑——水将及而未汲上、或打破了瓶子，则凶。
Interpretive translationThe 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, misfortune.
彖曰：巽乎水而上水，井；井养而不穷也。改邑不改井，乃以刚中也。汔至亦未繘井，未有功也。羸其瓶，是以凶也。
象曰：木上有水，井；君子以劳民劝相。
木上有水、汲而上之，井之象；君子效法它，慰劳民众、劝勉互助。
井泥不食，旧井无禽。
象曰：井泥不食，下也。旧井无禽，时舍也。
One does not drink the mud of the well. No animals come to an old well.
井谷射鲋，瓮敝漏。
象曰：井谷射鲋，无与也。
At the wellhole one shoots fishes. The jug is broken and leaks.
井渫不食，为我心恻，可用汲，王明，并受其福。
象曰：井渫不食，行恻也。求王明，受福也。
The well is cleaned, but no one drinks from it. This grieves my heart — it could be used! If the king were clear-minded, good fortune would be enjoyed in common.
井甃，无咎。
象曰：井甃无咎，修井也。
The well is being lined. No blame.
井冽，寒泉食。
象曰：寒泉之食，中正也。
In the well there is a clear, cold spring from which one can drink.
井收勿幕，有孚元吉。
象曰：元吉在上，大成也。
One draws from the well without hindrance. It is dependable. Supreme good fortune.
Structure
Jǐng is formed by Water (Kan ☵) above Wind/Wood (Xun ☴). Water rises above wood — the image of drawing water up from the depths using a wooden bucket. Xun represents the penetrating quality of wood and wind, reaching down into the earth; Kan represents water, the life-giving resource hidden in the depths. Together they depict the act of accessing deep, hidden resources and bringing them to the surface for the benefit of all.
Judgment and Image
The Judgment states: 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 shows water over wood — the superior person encourages the people at their work and exhorts them to help one another. The well is constant, but accessing it requires proper tools and effort. The warning about the rope and jug speaks to the tragedy of almost reaching the source but failing at the last moment through carelessness or inadequate preparation.
Core meaning
The central teaching of Jǐng is that there exists a deep, inexhaustible source of nourishment — whether understood as wisdom, spiritual sustenance, or fundamental human values — that remains constant regardless of external changes. Towns rise and fall, circumstances shift, but the well endures. The question is not whether the source exists, but whether we can access it.
The image of the well is profoundly social: a well serves a community, not just an individual. The hexagram speaks to the importance of shared resources, mutual support, and the structures that allow a community to access what sustains it. The superior person encourages and exhorts — they help others draw from the well.
In Liuyao readings, Jǐng often appears when the querent needs to reconnect with something fundamental — their core values, their deepest motivations, or the relationships and practices that truly sustain them. The hexagram asks whether they have maintained access to their inner well, or whether neglect has allowed the rope to fray and the jug to crack.
The warning about the rope and jug is particularly important: it is possible to know where the water is, to be almost within reach of it, and still fail to draw it up. This speaks to the importance of proper preparation, adequate tools, and the patience to complete the process fully. Half-measures — getting almost to the water — bring misfortune.
In personal development, Jǐng is an invitation to identify and maintain the practices, relationships, and values that constitute your inner well — the inexhaustible source that sustains you through all circumstances. It also asks whether you are sharing that source with others, as a well is meant to serve a community.
In divination
When Jǐng appears in a reading, it often signals a need to reconnect with fundamental sources of nourishment and meaning. For career questions, it may indicate that the querent should focus on developing deep, transferable skills rather than chasing surface-level opportunities. For relationships, it may counsel a return to the core values and practices that sustain the bond.
Jǐng is favorable for deep work, reconnecting with fundamentals, and serving others. It is unfavorable for superficial approaches, neglecting maintenance, or hoarding resources that should be shared.
Move from research into a real reading
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