井
“Welling” — King Wen #48
The well. An inexhaustible source that serves all — keep it clear and draw from it.
The Judgment 卦辞
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) Jing, (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.— The I Ching, trans. James Legge, 1899 (public domain)1
The Six Lines 爻辞
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.
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.
井渫不食，為我心惻；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.
井甃，無咎。
The fourth SIX, divided, shows a well, the lining of which is well laid. There will be no error.
井冽，寒泉食。
The fifth NINE, undivided, shows a clear, limpid well, (the waters from) whose cold spring are (freely) drunk.
井收勿幕，有孚元吉。
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.
Reading the Picture
Hexagram 48 places wind (巽) beneath water (坎) —gentle influence working inward below, water finding its way through hard gaps above. This is why the tradition reads it as “Welling”:the well. An inexhaustible source that serves all — keep it clear and draw from it Whenever you cast this figure, the classical reading points back to that turning of forces.
Questions About Hexagram 48
What does 井 (jǐng) mean?
Hexagram 48 of the I Ching is named 井 (jǐng), usually rendered "Welling" in English editions. Its figure pairs wind (巽) below with water (坎) above.
Which trigrams form hexagram 48?
坎 (Water) sits above and 巽 (Wind) sits below — the classical picture is gentle influence working inward beneath water finding its way through hard gaps.
How is hexagram 48 related to the other hexagrams?
Changing every line of hexagram 48 gives hexagram 21 — 噬嗑 (Gnawing Bite). Turned upside down it becomes hexagram 47 — 困 (Confining). Its nuclear hexagram — the inner pattern of lines 2 through 5 — is hexagram 38 — 睽 (Polarising).
Ask your own question
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1 Legge, James. The Yi King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI (1899), public domain. Classical Chinese from the received Zhouyi text. · For reflection and entertainment — not financial, medical, or life advice.