Hexagram 48: The Well (井 Jǐng) — I Ching Guide

Q: What is I Ching Hexagram 48 (井 The Well)?

I Ching Hexagram 48, 井 (Jǐng), represents The Well. It is formed by Water (坎 Kǎn) above, Wind (巽 Xùn) below. The core teaching of this hexagram is captured in its Judgment: 'The Well. A 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...'

Q: What does the Image of Hexagram 48 mean?

The Image states: 'Water over wood: the image of the Well. Thus the superior man encourages the people at their work and exhorts them to help one another.' This teaches that the superior person responds to the hexagram's situation by cultivating the corresponding inner quality.

Q: How do the six lines of Hexagram 48 develop its meaning?

The six lines trace a progression through the hexagram's situation. Starting from the bottom (Line 1) through Line 6, each position reveals a different aspect of how The Well manifests — from initial stirrings to the final outcome. Key lines include the ruler of the hexagram and the culminating line.

Q: What is the relationship between Hexagram 48 and other hexagrams?

Hexagram 48 (The Well) follows Hexagram 47 in the traditional King Wen sequence, forming a meaningful progression. Its nuclear hexagram and opposite/complementary hexagram provide additional dimensions of meaning.

Oriens

井

Jǐng — Hexagram 48

The Well

Water (坎 Kǎn) above, Wind (巽 Xùn) below

Published July 22, 2026 · By Oriens

Summary

I Ching Hexagram 48, 井 (Jǐng), represents The Well. Formed by Water (坎 Kǎn) above, Wind (巽 Xùn) below, this hexagram teaches about the well. The core message: The Well. A 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.

Key Takeaways

Hexagram 48 is formed by Water (坎 Kǎn) above, Wind (巽 Xùn) below, combining two of the eight trigrams into a unique archetypal situation
The Judgment reveals the hexagram's core teaching through a concise, oracular statement
The six lines trace a progression from initial conditions through to the culmination and outcome
The Image connects the natural symbolism of the trigrams to the conduct of the superior person
This hexagram's wisdom applies to modern situations involving

The Judgment

The Well. A 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, this brings misfortune.

— I Ching, The Well

The Image

Water over wood: the image of the Well. Thus the superior man encourages the people at their work and exhorts them to help one another.

— I Ching, Image

The Six Lines

Line 1: Line 1: One does not drink the mud of the well. No animals come to an old well.

Line 2: Line 2: At the wellhole one shoots fishes. The jug is broken and leaks.

Line 3: Line 3: The well is cleaned, but no one drinks from it. This is my heart's sorrow, for one might draw from it. If the king were clear-minded, good fortune might be enjoyed in common.

Line 4: Line 4: The well is being lined. No blame.

Line 5: Line 5: In the well there is a clear, cold spring from which one can drink.

Line 6: Line 6: One draws from the well without hindrance. It is dependable. Supreme good fortune.

Modern Application

Hexagram 48 uses the well as a timeless metaphor for the unchanging source that sustains changing communities. Towns move, but the well remains — this is the hexagram of fundamental human needs and the structures that serve them. Water drawn upward by wood (the bucket and rope) represents the infrastructure of civilization. The hexagram warns against neglect: a muddy well, a broken jug, a clean well no one uses. In modern terms, the Well applies to public goods, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and any institution that serves the common good across generations. It teaches that maintaining these deep sources matters more than surface changes.

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