The Well

Upper trigram: Water (deep, perilous, flowing) · Lower trigram: Wind and wood (gentle, penetrating)

Judgment

Water above wood: the well’s water is drawn up and suffices for all. Towns change but the well does not; it neither grows nor shrinks, and everyone drinks from it. This hexagram speaks of a shared and lasting source, of self-renewing values. If the rope almost reaches the water and breaks, or the bucket cracks, the work stays unfinished; so care matters.

Image

Water above wood: the well. The noble-minded encourage the people and call them to help one another.

Meaning of the six lines (bottom to top)

1. 1Line 1 (from the bottom)Mud in the well, no one drinks; not even a bird visits the old well. A neglected source may need care.
2. 2Line 2 (from the bottom)Arrows are shot at fish from the well’s bottom; the jug leaks. Using a precious source for the wrong purpose makes it unproductive.
3. 3Line 3 (from the bottom)The well is cleaned yet no one drinks: it pains the heart. For the worth to be noticed, the eye of a ruler or friend may be needed.
4. 4Line 4 (from the bottom)The well is lined with stone: no error. Reinforcing the source first becomes the foundation for what follows.
5. 5Line 5 (from the bottom)Clear, cold water in the well: it is drunk. Being nourished from a clean, cool source brings direct good.
6. 6Line 6 (from the bottom)Water is drawn from the well and it is not covered: sincerity, great good. Keeping the source open to all keeps it constantly renewed.