Hexagram 48: Jǐng 井

What hexagram 48 means

Wind and Wood reach down to draw Water up from below, a resource that renews itself as long as it is properly maintained. What supports many people works only if its upkeep is not neglected.

A question to sit with

What shared resource needs maintenance before it can keep supporting people?

The six lines, bottom to top

A changing line is read on its own. These are original reflections written for this site, not a translation.

Line 1 · The beginning

Mud at the bottom of a neglected well offers no one a drink, and even animals pass it by. Notice whether a resource has been left untended so long that it no longer nourishes anyone.

Line 2 · The inner position

Water trickling out through a cracked jug, or used only to catch small fish, is spent on too little. Ask whether your gifts are being put to their best use or quietly leaking away.

Line 3 · The threshold

A well cleaned and full of clear water can still go undrawn. Water only helps once someone draws it, so consider how your offering can be recognised and shared.

Line 4 · Entering the outer

Repairing the stone lining of a well pauses its use for a while, yet the maintenance keeps it sound. As you enter wider circles, time spent looking after yourself is not wasted, even if no one drinks in the meantime.

Line 5 · The position of authority

A clear, cold spring is ready for anyone who comes to it. A well-kept resource matters most when it is actually drawn upon and offered to others.

Line 6 · The end, and excess

Water drawn freely, with the well left uncovered, serves everyone who comes. Dependable generosity that stays open to all is the fullest expression of what this image offers.