Guanxiang
六十四卦 · All 64
第 48 卦 · Hexagram 48

井

Jing · The Well (Water over Wind)

養而不窮，勞民勸相

上上卦upper trigram☵坎 · 水 / Water下下卦lower trigram☴巽 · 風 / Wind
錯卦把每一爻都翻轉（陽↔陰）後得到的另一卦。Every line flipped, yang ↔ yin.Opposite21 · 噬嗑綜卦把整個卦上下顛倒後得到的另一卦。The whole figure turned upside-down.Inverse47 · 困互卦由二、三、四爻與三、四、五爻組成的中間卦。Built from lines 2-3-4 and 3-4-5.Nuclear38 · 睽

象Image

先看圖像，再讀文字。Read the image before the words.

大象傳《大象傳》從上下卦的自然圖像推演全卦之象，再提出人事取法。The Great Image derives conduct from the two trigrams' natural images.Great Image

  1. 全卦成象Whole image

    木上有水，井

    (The trigram representing) wood and above it that for water, form Jing.

  2. 人事取法Conduct

    君子以勞民勸相。

    The superior man, in accordance with this, comforts the people, and stimulates them to mutual helpfulness.

木上有水，即井之象。君子由此體會：要慰勞百姓、勸勉互助。井養人，君子養民。

(The trigram representing) wood and above it that for water, form Jing. The superior man, in accordance with this, comforts the people, and stimulates them to mutual helpfulness.

辭Words

先讀經文，再讀《彖傳》如何解釋卦辭。The received text, then the Tuan commentary on it.

經
卦辭對整個卦（六條線為一組）的總體判斷。The judgment on the hexagram as a whole.
Judgment

井：改邑不改井，無喪無得，往來井井。汔至，亦未繘井，羸其瓶，凶。

井卦，遷邑不遷井（井是不動的根本）。井無增減，往來者皆從井取水。將要汲到水時若打破水瓶（功虧一簣），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.

傳
彖傳十翼之一，直接解釋卦名、卦辭及其剛柔結構。Tuan Zhuan — explains the name, the Judgment and the line structure.
Commentary on the Judgment

巽乎水而上水，井。井養而不窮也。改邑不改井，乃以剛中也。汔至亦未繘井，未有功也。羸其瓶，是以凶也。

順入於水而水汲上來，即井之象。井之為用是養人而不窮盡。「改邑不改井」是因為井之剛中（九二、九五）為根。「將要到頂卻未繘上」是功未成。打破水瓶，所以凶。

Wood passing into the water, while the trigram of water is above, gives us Jing — the figure of a well. The well supplies nourishment and is not (itself) exhausted.

爻Lines

六條線各有一句判斷。閱讀次序初→上；卦象由下而上，看左側的卦。One statement per line, read from the first line to the top. The figure is drawn bottom-up — watch the rail.

初六
泥
井底之泥muddy bottom
第 1 爻 · 陰line 1 · yin

井泥不食，舊井無禽。

井底是泥不能喝，舊井連禽鳥也不來。陰柔在最下，井未疏浚之象。

The first SIX shows a well so muddy that men will not drink of it; or an old well to which neither birds (resort).

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註。Xiao Xiang — short classical commentary on this line.

井泥不食，下也。舊井無禽，時舍也。

井泥不食，是處於下位。舊井無禽，是時運所棄。

九二
漏
甕敝水漏leaky pot
第 2 爻 · 陽line 2 · yang

井谷射鮒，甕敝漏。

井谷（井底）只能射小魚（鮒），瓦甕又破漏。陽剛無應，井雖有水卻無法上達。

The second NINE shows a well from which by a side passage the water escapes and flows away to the shrimps (and such small creatures), or the water leaks away from a broken basket.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註。Xiao Xiang — short classical commentary on this line.

井谷射鮒，無與也。

井底射鮒，是因為沒有相應。

九三
渫
潔而不食clean but unused
第 3 爻 · 陽line 3 · yang

井渫不食，為我心惻，可用汲，王明，並受其福。

井已疏通卻無人飲，我心為此惻然。可以汲水了，若君王明察，眾人都受其福。賢能不被用之歎。

The third NINE shows a well, which has been cleared out, but is not used. Our hearts are sorry for this, but if the king were intelligent, both he and we might receive the benefit of it.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註。Xiao Xiang — short classical commentary on this line.

井渫不食，行惻也。求王明，受福也。

井渫不食，行人心惻。求王明察，受其福。

六四
甃
修井無咎repair the lining
第 4 爻 · 陰line 4 · yin

井甃，無咎。

用磚石修砌井壁，無咎。柔得位、能修井而不取水，是修養之事。

The fourth SIX shows a well, the lining of which is well laid. There will be no error.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註。Xiao Xiang — short classical commentary on this line.

井甃無咎，修井也。

井甃無咎，是修井之事。

九五
冽
寒泉可食cold pure spring
第 5 爻 · 陽line 5 · yang

井冽，寒泉食。

井水清冽，寒涼的泉水可以喝。剛中得位，是井之最佳的狀態，清涼養人。

The fifth NINE shows a clear, limpid well, (the waters from) whose cold spring are (freely) drunk.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註。Xiao Xiang — short classical commentary on this line.

寒泉之食，中正也。

寒泉可食，是中正之德。

上六
孚
井收元吉open and sincere
第 6 爻 · 陰line 6 · yin

井收勿幕，有孚元吉。

井已修成不可掩蓋，有誠信，大吉。井不藏私，公養萬民。

The topmost SIX shows the water from the well brought to the top, which is not allowed to be covered. Associated with sincerity, there will be great good fortune.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註。Xiao Xiang — short classical commentary on this line.

元吉在上，大成也。

元吉在上爻，是大成之象。

用Use

把象套到你的情境，取一個可行的下一步。Apply the image to your situation; take one practical step.

井·養·改邑不改井

Well · nourishing · the unchanging source

把象套到你的情境 · Apply the image to your situation
  1. 初六泥新工作就放棄發展，成為「廢井」。Abandon a new role early; it becomes a 'dead well'.
  2. 九二漏有能力但無上下相應，能力流失。Capable but no resonance up or down; the capability leaks away.
  3. 九三渫本領已成卻不被重用，歎然。Skill ready but unused; lamentable.
  4. 六四甃修砌自己的能力結構（學習、體系），無咎。Building your skill structure through learning and systems; no error.
  5. 九五冽成熟期：你的能力清冽，被人廣泛汲取。The mature phase: your skill is clear and widely drawn upon.
  6. 上六孚成就大成且不藏私，大吉。Greatly accomplished and hiding nothing; auspicious.
可行的一步 · Practical move

井卦要用在兩處：養而不窮，不藏不掩。井是公共之源，能力、學問、品德到了真正成熟時，就應該像井一樣公開。最忌六爻的初泥（廢棄）、九二漏（不接地氣）。最高境是九五冽與上六勿幕，清明且公開。

Jing applies in two places: nourishing without exhaustion, and hiding nothing. The well is a public source — when capability, learning, or virtue reaches true maturity, it should become open like a well. Avoid line 1's mud and line 2's leak. The high point is line 5's clarity together with line 6's 'don't cover' — clear and open at once.

失手之處 · Failure mode

九三「井渫不食」是現代有德能者最深的歎息，明明已經修好了，卻時運不到、沒人來用。這一爻提醒的是：井不為用而修，是為養人而存，即使無人取，井之德性不變。

Line 3's 'cleared well, no one drinks' is the modern capable person's deepest sigh: ready, but the timing is off and no one comes. The well isn't built for use — it's built to nourish. Even unused, the well's virtue stands.

義理Commentary4
三國·魏 (226–249 CE) · 三國·魏 (226–249 CE)王弼《周易注》Wang BiScholarly

王弼以為井卦的核心在「養而不窮」：井之為用是無盡之源。卦辭「改邑不改井」值得細想，人事可變，井之根本不變。賢能之德如井，永遠在那裡，待人來汲。

Wang Bi takes the core of Jing to be 'nourishing without exhaustion' (yang er bu qiong) — the well's function is to be an inexhaustible source. The Judgment's 'the town may change, the well does not' cuts deep: human affairs may shift, but the well's foundation does not shift. The virtue of the worthy is like a well — always there, waiting to be drawn upon.

北宋 · Northern Song程頤《伊川易傳》Cheng YiScholarly

程子強調九三「井渫不食」之歎，賢能已成而未被用，世人之憾。彼以為大象「勞民勸相」是君子之常德，井養民，君子養民之心也應如井之常。

Cheng Yi dwells on the sigh of line 3, 'the well is cleared, yet no one drinks' — the worthy man fully formed but left unused, the regret of the age. He takes the Da Xiang's 'comforting the people and exhorting mutual help' as the superior man's constant virtue: as the well nourishes the people, so should the superior man's heart for nourishing them be as constant as the well.

南宋 · Southern Song朱熹《周易本義》Zhu XiIntroductory

朱子直言：井者，養人之器。卦中六爻自下而上：井泥（底）、井漏（次底）、井渫（中）、井甃（上半）、井冽（口）、井收（成），是一個井從修成到使用的完整過程。建立任何「養人之物」都須經歷這六步。

Zhu Xi puts it plainly: the well is an instrument for nourishing people. The six lines run from bottom to top: the muddy well (bottom), the leaking well (next), the cleared well (middle), the lined well (upper half), the limpid well (mouth), and the completed well — the full course of a well from construction to use. From this the student learns: building anything that nourishes others must pass through these six steps.

21 世紀 · 21 世紀現代傳承·編輯組原創Modern lineageIntroductory

井卦講養人的源頭。卦辭「改邑不改井」：村子可以搬，井還在原處。一門學問、一部典籍、一套節氣倫理，都是這樣的井，朝代換了它不換，誰來汲都給水。 讀井先看兩頭。壞的在下：初六「井泥不食」，井底淤了泥，人不喝，鳥也不來；九二「甕敝漏」，打水的甕破了，有水也接不住。源頭廢掉，多半壞在失修。好的在上：九五「井冽，寒泉食」，水清冽可食；再進一步是上六「井收勿幕，有孚元吉」，井修成了不加蓋，敞開給人用。養人養到不藏私這一步，纔算成。

Jing is about the source that nourishes people. The Judgment says 'the town may move, the well does not': the village can relocate; the well stays where it is. A discipline, a classic text, a seasonal ethic — these are wells of that kind. Dynasties change and they don't; whoever comes to draw, they give water. Read Jing from both ends. The bad is at the bottom: line 1, 'the well is muddy, no one drinks' — silt at the bottom, people won't drink, even birds stay away; line 2, 'the jug is broken and leaks' — there is water, but nothing to catch it in. When a source goes dead, it usually dies of neglect. The good is at the top: line 5, 'the well is limpid; the cold spring is drunk'; one step further is line 6, 'the well is finished and left uncovered — with sincerity, great fortune.' The well is done and no lid goes on it: open for anyone to use. Nourishing others only counts as complete when it reaches the point of hiding nothing.

注解Annotation10
井jǐng

水井，取水之處。也是卦名，全卦以井作比方。

The well — the place where water is drawn; here also the name of the hexagram and its master image.

邑yì

城鎮、聚落。與不可遷的井相對，是可以搬遷的東西。

Town, settlement — the thing that can be moved, in contrast to the well.

汔qì

幾乎、將近。指快要完成卻還沒到。

Almost, on the point of — nearly there.

繘jú

汲水用的繩子。

The well-rope for drawing water.

羸léi

毀壞、打破，此處指在快要成功時打破了水瓶。

To break, ruin — here, breaking the water jug at the last moment.

鮒fù

小魚，泥鰍之類。是漏水的井底所能供養的極限。

A small fish, a minnow — all a leaking well-bottom can serve.

甕wèng

陶製的水罐。

Earthenware water jar.

渫xiè

疏浚、清理，把井底淤泥清乾淨讓水變清。

To dredge, clear out — cleaning the well so its water runs pure.

甃zhòu

用磚石砌井壁，是修井的工程，還沒到取水那一步。

To line a well's walls with brick or stone — repair work, not yet drawing water.

冽liè

清涼、清澈，形容井水處在最好的狀態。

Clear, cold, limpid — the well at its best.

歷史Context4
井困成對·內源外困
Jing and Kun — inner source vs outer trouble

第 47 困（外無水）與第 48 井（內有水）為綜卦。卦序揭示：當外在困窮時，須返回內在之井，內外相生的道理在此可見。

Hexagram 47 Kun (no water outside) and Hexagram 48 Jing (water within) are each other's inverse. The sequence reveals: when outward circumstances run dry, one must return to the inner well — a familiar move in Chinese philosophy, from outer circumstance to inner resource.

「改邑不改井」·永恆之源
'Cities change, the well does not'

卦辭「改邑不改井」六字，說的是城邑可以遷移，井卻不能。後世「不變者道」一類的說法，常讓人聯想到這一句。

The six characters of the Judgment, gai yi bu gai jing ('the town may change, the well does not'), point to an idea of enduring value in Chinese thought: a town can be relocated; a well cannot. Later phrases like 'what does not change is the Dao' often echo this line.

「勞民勸相」·公共之德
'Comforting people, exhorting mutual help'

大象「君子以勞民勸相」一句，說的是井是公共之物，任何人都可以來汲，君子的德行也應如此，公開而養人。

The Da Xiang's 'the superior man comforts the people and exhorts mutual help' points to a simple idea: the well is a public thing — anyone may come and draw from it; the superior man's virtue should be the same, open and nourishing.

六爻之井之全貌
Six lines as the well's full life

井卦的六爻寫出了一個井從建立到完成的完整過程：初六井泥不食，是廢棄狀態；九二甕敝漏，是修而不善；九三井渫不食，是疏通但無用；六四井甃，是修砌井壁；九五井冽寒泉食，是井水清冽可飲；上六井收勿幕，是向所有人開放。讀爻時可按此完整流程對照。

The six lines of Jing trace a well's complete course from founding to completion: line 1, muddy and undrinkable (abandoned); line 2, the broken, leaking jug (badly maintained); line 3, cleared but unused; line 4, lining the walls; line 5, limpid, the cold spring drinkable; line 6, finished and uncovered (open to all). When reading any line, place it against this full sequence.

練習Practice3
  1. char-recall

    「改邑不改井」六字之意？這如何指向「永恆之源」？

    What do these six characters mean? How do they point to 'eternal source'?

  2. parse

    為何井卦六爻寫出一個完整的井從廢到成的過程？

    How do the six lines depict the well's full lifecycle?

  3. line-read

    用上六「井收勿幕」評論一個你見過「公開傳承不藏私」的人。

    Use line 6 to comment on someone you've seen who teaches openly, hiding nothing.