Jing · The Well

Judgment

改邑不改井，无丧无得。

The town may be moved, but not the well. Nothing is lost, nothing gained.

The Chinese above is the received classical text. The English below it is a plain-language rendering written for this site — not a scholarly translation. The classical wording is terse and genuinely open to more than one reading, so where interpretations diverge we follow the mainstream one.

The Image (Da Xiang)

木上有水，井，君子以劳民劝相。

树木上有水（以木桶汲水），这是井卦，泉井养人不穷的卦象，君子应当慰劳百姓，勉励相互扶助。

The Six Lines

• First line井泥不食，旧井无禽。初六 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Second line井谷射鲋，瓮敝漏。九二 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Third line井渫不食，为我心恻，可用汲，王明，并受其福。九三 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Fourth line井甃，无咎。六四 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Fifth line井冽，寒泉食。九五 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Top line井收勿幕，有孚，元吉。上六 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.

Modern Interpretive Reference

Quality: Neutral

Tendency: The well; a source that serves continuously if maintained.

Guidance: Cultivate yourself so others may draw from it. Maintenance matters more than novelty.

This section is editorial reflection written for this site, not classical commentary. Hexagram qualities are not fixed outcomes — context and response matter more than the label. For cultural reflection only; not a basis for any decision.