Hexagram 48 Jing - Complete Guide Part 2: The Six Lines and the Stages of The Well
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BY NICOLE LAU
Hexagram 48 Jing - Complete Guide Part 2: The Six Lines and the Stages of The Well
The six lines of Jing describe the restoration and utilization of a well, tracing an astonishing metaphor for human education, self-cultivation, and institutional renewal. The journey moves from an abandoned, muddy hole in the ground where even birds refuse to drink, through dredging the mud and lining the walls with stone, to reaching cold, crystalline water, culminating in an uncovered, communal spring that nourishes the entire world. It is the definitive guide to rehabilitating human potential.
Line 1 — Six at the Bottom: The Muddy Well
One does not drink the mud of the well. No animals come to an old well.
The first line describes a well that has been completely neglected. Silt and mud have accumulated at the bottom; the water is stagnant, foul, and undrinkable. Even wild birds and beasts avoid it ("no animals come to an old well").
In human terms, this represents a person who has allowed their talents, mind, or character to rot through chronic laziness, neglect, or cynicism. They have sunk into the mud of their own bad habits. Nobody wants to hire them, collaborate with them, or associate with them, not out of cruelty, but because they have nothing pure or nourishing to offer. The line issues a blunt diagnosis: you are currently a muddy well. You must be dredged.
- Stage: Total neglect, stagnation, and unrefined potential
- Action: Recognize your current state of decay; you cannot nourish anyone until you clean out your mud
- Wisdom: Neglect makes the deepest potential foul and useless to the world
Line 2 — Nine in the Second Place: The Broken Bucket and the Fish
At the wellhole one shoots fishes. The jug is broken and leaks.
The second line describes a well that has water, but it is being completely misused. The water is clear enough to support tiny fish, but instead of using the well to nourish the town, people are kneeling at the wellhole using small arrows to shoot the fish for sport. Worse, the jug (bucket) is cracked and leaking.
This represents squandering high-level talents on petty, trivial pursuits. You have intelligence, education, and resources, but you are using them to chase cheap dopamine, play petty office politics, or shoot small fish. Because your container (your discipline/habits) is broken and leaks, you cannot lift the water to where it matters. You are wasting your depth on trivia.
- Stage: Wasting deep capability on trivial, petty distractions
- Action: Stop shooting small fish; repair your broken habits and containers
- Wisdom: Talent paired with a leaking bucket produces zero lasting contribution
Line 3 — Nine in the Third Place: The Cleared Well That Nobody Uses
The well is cleaned, but no one drinks from it. This is the heart's sorrow, for one might draw from it. If the king were clear-minded, good fortune might be enjoyed in common.
The third line describes a tragedy of unrecognized brilliance. The well has been completely dredged! The mud is gone, the water is pure, sparkling, and sweet. Yet, the townspeople haven't noticed; nobody comes to draw from it.
This is "the heart's sorrow"—the painful experience of a scholar, artist, or founder who has spent years mastering their craft in obscurity, doing the hard internal work, but remains undiscovered and unappreciated by the market. The I Ching offers deep solace: the problem is not your water; the problem is the lack of vision in the leadership ("if the king were clear-minded"). Keep the well clean. Eventually, an enlightened leader will discover the spring, and the good fortune will be enjoyed by all.
- Stage: Mastered capability awaiting recognition and discovery
- Action: Keep your craft pure; do not become bitter because you are currently undiscovered
- Wisdom: The sorrow of being overlooked — true value eventually forces its own discovery
Line 4 — Six in the Fourth Place: Lining the Well with Stone
The well is being lined with stone. No blame.
The fourth line describes the necessary phase of structural reinforcement. The well has water, but the dirt walls threaten to collapse and muddy the pool again. Therefore, the work of drawing water is temporarily halted so workers can descend into the shaft and line the walls with solid masonry.
In life and business, this represents taking time off for infrastructure maintenance, therapy, restructuring, or rigorous re-education. You are not producing outward output right now ("the well is out of commission"), but there is "No blame." If you do not reinforce the walls of your character and operational systems with stone, the well will cave in. Internal restructuring is sacred work.
- Stage: Structural maintenance, reinforcement, and internal consolidation
- Action: Pause outward production to repair and reinforce your foundations with stone
- Wisdom: No blame — building an unbreakable container guarantees lifelong clean water
Line 5 — Nine in the Fifth Place: The Clear, Cold Spring
In the well there is a clear, cold spring from which one can drink.
The fifth line is the ruler's position—the realization of the well's highest potential. The water is not just drinkable; it is a "clear, cold spring"—the purest, most refreshing mountain aquifer water that invigorates the soul. The leader here has become a living fountain of wisdom, justice, and nourishment.
However, notice what the line says: "from which one can drink." The water is there, ready and accessible, but the ultimate fulfillment happens only when people actually come and take it. This line represents supreme capability and readiness to serve the world.
- Stage: Supreme, crystal-clear competence and spiritual vitality
- Action: Offer your gifts freely; your character is a refreshing spring for all who thirst
- Wisdom: A noble character is an inexhaustible, cold mountain spring
Line 6 — Six at the Top: The Uncovered Well
One draws from the well without hindrance. It is dependable. Supreme good fortune.
The supreme line of Jing represents the ultimate public good. The well is completely finished, stone-lined, and full of sweet water. Most importantly: it is uncovered. There is no lock on the gate, no private toll, no cover keeping people out. Everyone can draw from it "without hindrance."
This is the philanthropist, the open-source pioneer, the great teacher, or the enlightened institution whose wisdom and resources belong to the entire human race. It is "dependable" (You Fu)—it never runs dry, and it never fails. Because this abundance is shared with universal generosity, it brings "Supreme good fortune."
- Stage: Universal access, open-source abundance, and permanent public service
- Action: Remove the cover; share your wealth, wisdom, and platforms freely with the world
- Wisdom: Supreme good fortune — the greatest well is the one that belongs to everyone
The Complete Journey: A Summary
- Line 1: The muddy, neglected well — useless to the world; requires dredging.
- Line 2: Shooting fish with a leaking bucket — squandering deep talent on trivial games.
- Line 3: The clean well awaiting the king — the sorrow of undiscovered mastery.
- Line 4: Lining the walls with stone — pausing production to rebuild internal infrastructure.
- Line 5: The cold mountain spring — peak competence and crystal-clear character.
- Line 6: The uncovered well — dependable, universal nourishment bringing supreme good fortune.
What Is Next in This Series
- Part 1: The Symbol and Structure
- Part 2 (This Article): The Six Lines — Complete Line-by-Line Commentary
- Part 3: Divination Guide — How to Read Jing in Practice
- Part 4: Philosophy — The Well in Confucian, Taoist, and Commons Thought
- Part 5: Practical Applications — Core Competencies, Deep Work, Infrastructure
- Part 6: Modern Interpretations — Open Source, Elinor Ostrom’s Commons, Digital Public Goods
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