The well — the inexhaustible source that serves all alike.
Like a well, the deep source of nourishment is always there if it is maintained and reached. Tend the structure so others may draw; neglect it and it silts up. Reliable depth serves the whole community.
sourcenourishmentreliabilitycommunity
The Well places Water (abysmal, dangerous) above Wind (gentle, penetrating). The interplay of these two trigrams gives the hexagram its character.
The Classical Textoriginal Chinese
The Judgment · 卦辞
改邑不改井，无丧无得，往来井井。汔至，亦未繘井，羸其瓶，凶。
The Image · 大象
木上有水，井；君子以劳民劝相。
The Six Lines · 爻辞
- 初六井泥不食，旧井无禽。象曰：井泥不食，下也。旧井无禽，时舍也。
- 九二井谷射鲋，瓮敝漏。象曰：井谷射鲋，无与也。
- 九三井渫不食，为我心恻，可用汲，王明，并受其福。象曰：井渫不食，行恻也。求王明，受福也。
- 六四井甃，无咎。象曰：井甃无咎，修井也。
- 九五井冽，寒泉食。象曰：寒泉之食，中正也。
- 上六井收勿幕，有孚元吉。象曰：元吉在上，大成也。
The judgment, image and line texts above are quoted from the original Zhou Yi. A modern Chinese translation of the full classic is available on the original-text page.