48 - The Well

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The Hexagram

Upper Trigram: Kan, Water

2nd Core Character: Li, Fire

1st Core Character: Dui, Lake

Lower Trigram: Sun, Wind (Tree)

The Changes in Detail

Lower Trigram: Sun, the Wind / Tree

First Change: Sun → Dui, the Lake

Second Change: Dui → Li, the Fire

Third Change: Li → Kan, the Water

Upper Trigram: Kan, the Water

The Interplay of Yin and Yang

Changes and Impulses

Classical Interpretation

The well (48) signifies connection.

The image

Above the wood is water: the image of the well. Thus the superior man encourages the people at work and exhorts them to help each other.

The judgement

The well. One may change the town, but the well cannot be changed. It neither decreases nor increases. They come and go and draw from the well. If one has almost reached the fountain's water, but the rope does not go all the way, or the mug breaks, this brings misfortune. Full text of Richard Wilhelm's 1924 translation by Cary F. Baynes