I Ching Hexagram 48: Jing (井), The Well — Meaning and Lines
I Ching Hexagram 48, Jing (井): The Well. Xun below Kan, judgement, six lines, a careful reading.
Key points
| Number | 48 of 64 (King Wen sequence) |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | Jing (井) |
| Name in French | Jing, le Puits (The Well) |
| Lower trigram | ☴ Xun, Wind |
| Upper trigram | ☵ Kan, Water |
| Image | Water above wood: the bucket that dips into the well |
| Twin hexagram | No. 47, Kun (oppression), Oppression |
| Nature of the text | A book of wisdom and oracle, a tool for reflection, not a prediction |
Jing: what is it about?
Hexagram 48, Jing (井, pronounced roughly "jing"), is the hexagram of the well: the common resource from which a whole village comes to draw water. The character, moreover, depicts the well's rim. According to the traditional commentary on the order of the hexagrams, it follows Oppression: when the lake runs dry, one digs deeper.
The two trigrams
The first three lines (at the bottom) form the lower trigram, the last three the upper one. Here, the Wind (Xun) lies beneath the Water (Kan).
| Position | Trigram | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Upper (top) | ☵ Kan, the Water | The water |
| Lower (bottom) | ☴ Xun, the Wind | The wind |
Water above Wood (or Wind): one reads a wooden bucket that dips into the water and comes back up full. The lower trigram is also the plant that drinks through its roots.
The judgement in brief
The text is clear: one can move a town, but one cannot move its well. It neither loses nor gains, and everyone comes to draw water. Then comes the warning: if one nearly reaches the water without the rope going down far enough, or if the bucket breaks, it is a misfortune. My summary: what matters is not owning a source, but making it serve to the very end.
General meaning
Jing speaks of what nourishes over time: a spring that does not run dry, but which needs upkeep (dredging, the rim, a bucket in good condition). The well is a common good; it does not choose who drinks.
The Image advises the wise person to encourage the people to work and to help one another: the spring is a service rendered to all. The well stands in contrast to Oppression through its constancy: it stays in place while everything changes around it.
The six lines, from bottom to top
Each line is summarised in my own words; the ancient text is very elliptical and commentators complete it in different ways.
- Line 1, at the bottom (yin). A silted well, from which no one drinks; at an old well, even the birds no longer come. A resource left to neglect.
- Line 2 (yang). Water is lost through a crack: one has a well, but the jar is cracked. The means exist, badly used.
- Line 3 (yang). The well is cleaned, but no one draws from it, and this saddens everyone. If the ruler were enlightened, everyone would benefit: a talent waiting to be recognised.
- Line 4 (yin). The walls are lined with bricks. Nothing to reproach: one maintains, one strengthens.
- Line 5 (yang). The water is clear and cool, good to drink. This is quality at its highest point.
- Line 6, at the top (yin). One draws water without covering the well, with sincerity: great success. The source remains open to all.
Changing lines
A "changing" line is about to turn into its opposite. One reads its text, then the hexagram that arises from the change, taken as the direction the situation is taking; schools differ when several lines are changing.
| Changing line | Change | Resulting hexagram |
|---|---|---|
| Line 1 | yin becomes yang | No. 5, Xu, Waiting |
| Line 2 | yang becomes yin | No. 39, Jian, Obstruction |
| Line 3 | yang becomes yin | No. 29, Kan, The Abysmal |
| Line 4 | yin becomes yang | No. 28, Da Guo, Preponderance of the Great |
| Line 5 | yang becomes yin | No. 46, Sheng, Pushing Upward |
| Line 6 | yin becomes yang | No. 57, Xun, The Gentle |
If all six lines changed together, the result would be No. 21 (Shi He, Biting Through). Lines 1 to 4 describe a well to be restored; lines 5 and 6 a well in full service: the hexagram is often read as a passage from upkeep to sharing.
A careful modern reading
Jing is readily compared with anything that nourishes over the long term: a skill, a body of knowledge, a faithful friendship, a network of neighbours, a neighbourhood. The current reading stresses upkeep and circulation: a resource kept under a lid or neglected loses its value, while a shared resource gains in value. This remains an angle for reflection, not a promise of abundance.
Questions for reflection
- What is my source, what nourishes me without draining me?
- What have I let silt up for lack of upkeep?
- What knowledge or talent remains unused?
- What am I keeping under a lid that I could share?
Mistakes to avoid
- Seeing in the well a promise of money or abundance: the text speaks of upkeep and use.
- Believing that owning a resource is enough: the warning concerns the rope and the bucket, that is, the way one uses them.
- Taking hexagram 48 as a prediction or as medical, financial, legal or safety advice: the I Ching is a tool for reflection, and such decisions belong to a professional.
Other names and other translations
The name "Jing, The Well" follows one translation tradition among others; in Chinese, Jing (井). "The Well" is one of the most stable translations of the book; one sometimes finds "The Spring", and in English "the well".
In the King Wen sequence, it forms a pair with No. 47 (Kun (oppression), Oppression), whose figure is its own read upside down. Full list: the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching.
Frequently asked questions
What does hexagram 48 of the I Ching mean?
Jing, the well: a common and lasting resource that requires upkeep and must actually be used.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 48?
Xun, the Wind (or Wood), below, and Kan, the Water, above.
What does "one moves the town, not the well" mean?
That some resources are fixed and shared while everything else can change. The text stresses the constancy of the spring, whatever upheavals occur.
What is the link between Jing and hexagram 47?
According to the traditional commentary on the order of the hexagrams, the exhaustion of Oppression causes one to "descend" towards the well: one returns to a deep source.
What happens when a line of hexagram 48 is changing?
It turns into its opposite and gives birth to a second hexagram, read as the direction the situation is taking. The table on this page gives the resulting hexagram for each of the six lines.
Can hexagram 48 be relied on to make a decision?
It can nourish reflection, but it can never replace the advice of a professional. For health, money, law or safety, consult the competent person; in case of distress, call 3114 or 112 in France (112 is the emergency number across the European Union).
Also read
The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to The 64 hexagrams of the Yi King.