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Takashima Ekidan · hexagram readings
Takashima Ekidan · Hexagram 48 Water-Wind Jing: Jing: The town may be changed but the well is not; there is neither loss nor gain, and those who come and go draw from the well. Almost reaching it, yet the rope has not been lowered into the well. The bucket breaks; misfortune.
䷯
Water-Wind Jing: Jing: The town may be changed but the well is not; there is neither loss nor gain, and those who come and go draw from the well. Almost reaching it, yet the rope has not been lowered into the well. The bucket breaks; misfortune.
Jing: The town may be changed but the well is not; there is neither loss nor gain, and those who come and go draw from the well. Almost reaching it, yet the rope has not been lowered into the well. The bucket breaks; misfortune.
48 Water-Wind Jing
The hexagram has Kan above and Xun below. Xun signifies wind and also wood: wind is good at entering, while wood is good at emerging. With Xun below Kan, it enters the water and can also draw water out, giving the image of a well sweep. Kan signifies water and also a hollow. Water emerging from a hole in the ground is a well. The hexagram comes from Kun; when a lake dries up there is “no water,” and the reverse means water appears. Kan also signifies levelness; nothing is more level than the surface of water in a well. That is why this hexagram is called Jing.
Jing: The town may be changed but the well is not; there is neither loss nor gain, and those who come and go draw from the well. Almost reaching it, yet the rope has not been lowered into the well; the bucket is won or damaged, and this is misfortune.
▲ Bronze inscription: Jing
“Jing” means communication; it is something used in common by all things. In ancient times, whenever a city was established, a well had to be dug to nourish the people. Even if the city was moved or changed, the well's arrangement was not changed. People obtain nourishment from the well, yet the well is not thereby diminished, hence “no loss.” The well nourishes people, yet does not thereby claim merit, hence “no gain.” One only sees those who go coming and those who come going; people who obtain nourishment from the well never return to credit the well. The rope is used to draw something downward, and the bucket to hold it and raise it. If the rope has not been lowered but the bucket has already broken, the well is uselessly set up and the rope hangs uselessly in the air. Hence, “misfortune.”
The Tuan Commentary says: Xun enters the water and brings water upward; the well nourishes without exhaustion. The town may be changed but the well is not, because of firmness in the center. Almost reaching it, yet the rope has not been lowered into the well—there has been no accomplishment. The bucket breaks; therefore it is misfortune.
Xun as wood enters water; the image is taken from a well sweep. According to the Zhuangzi, wood is carved into a machine, heavy at the back and light at the front, which draws water as if pulling it out; it is called a gao. It is the water-wheel or windlass above a well, hence “Xun enters the water and brings water upward.” Xun signifies a rope, hence the image of the rope; Kan signifies emptiness, hence the image of the bucket. The rope is tied to the bucket in order to draw water upward. A well contains water, and taking water from it does not exhaust it, hence “the well nourishes without exhaustion.” The three yin and three yang lines originally derive from Qian and Kun. Kun signifies a town; when the Fifth of Kun transforms into Kan, the well is formed. Once the well is formed, Kun's town changes but Kan's well does not, hence “the town may be changed but the well is not.” The Commentary says “firmness in the center,” which comes from the Tuan Commentary on Kan: firmness in the center refers to Kan's Fifth, “not full, merely level.” This is what makes a well a well. Yet a well cannot nourish by itself; it must be drawn from for its nourishing function to appear. The rope pulls the water downward, and the bucket contains it and brings it upward; rope and bucket are the essential implements for drawing water. If one reaches the well but does not lower the rope, the well becomes an empty display—what accomplishment is there? If the bucket is then damaged, the rope is useless as well; the misfortune is obvious. “Qi” means nearly; “ju” means a rope; “lei” means a hooked bucket. The Appended Statements say, “The well is the ground of virtue,” taking its nourishing quality as the point. The well's inexhaustible nourishment is a metaphor for a ruler whose government lies in nourishing the people. Drawing from a well aims at obtaining water; governing aims at winning the people. One must not stop abruptly halfway and abandon the entire achievement. This is what Mencius meant by saying that digging a well but not reaching the spring is still abandoning the well; it expresses the same principle.
Interpreting this hexagram in terms of human affairs: “The Well” signifies regulation. A well regulates water so that it can be used for nourishment, just as people regulate wealth so that it may be kept in reserve. Countries undergo order and disorder, and towns change accordingly, but the well remains. Whether people draw from it or not, they neither gain nor lose anything by that fact; as far as “The Well” is concerned, it has nothing to do with gain or loss. The same is true of people’s handling of wealth. I have heard of people abandoning wealth for the sake of others, but never of people abandoning others for the sake of wealth. Those who rush away go for wealth, and those who come cheerfully come for wealth. Wealth lies in the earth, available for people to take without being exhausted, just as water lies in a well, available for people to draw without running dry. Yet one cannot go to draw water with bare hands. The lower trigram is Water, and the upper trigram is Wood: Water forms “The Well,” while Wood forms the well sweep; Wood also signifies the rope. The nuclear trigram is Fire, signifying the vessel, and Lake signifies its mouth—that is, the mouth of the well. This means that the well sweep draws the vessel down by a rope into the well mouth, then raises it with water. The Tuan Commentary’s words, “Enter into the water and bring up water,” describe the image of “The Well.” Remaining unchanged wherever it is located is the virtue of a well. But when the well’s rope has not been lowered, there is no way to bring up water, and the well accomplishes nothing; when the vessel has already become weakened, it is about to fall into the well, and the one drawing water will meet with misfortune. The Tuan Commentary speaks through “The Well,” but not only of wells. Everything in the world that regulates its source and keeps its flow open can be viewed through “The Well.” In the hexagram, the fifth line of Earth transforms into Water, while the first line of Heaven transforms into Wood. Heaven represents function; what is used profitably is wealth, and what sustains life is nourishment. These are all vital matters of human affairs. If one has nourishment but does not know what should be nourished, the well is nearly reduced to an empty vessel; if one has wealth but does not know how to use it, wealth ultimately becomes empty waste. This is not wealth’s fault, but people’s inability to draw from it properly. Thus the exemplary person “labors the people and encourages mutual assistance,” opening the sources and channels for the world.
Interpreting this hexagram in terms of the nation: The word “well” means nourishment. One nourishes the people according to what nourishes them, while the well itself does not know that it nourishes. The ruler nourishes the people through virtue, benefiting them according to what benefits them, while the ruler never speaks of profit. Wood means entering, Water means trust, and “The Well” means stillness. Because it enters, it connects and its resources do not run dry; because it is trustworthy, it is deep and does not shift when changed; because it is still, it is secure and responds without strain. These are the virtues of firmness centered within. The exemplary person models the virtue of the well: with depth like an abyss, cultivates himself; with the power to draw up nourishment, benefits the people. Extending himself to the people, he makes benefit universal. Yet even when the exemplary person possesses this virtue, whether he encounters opportunity or not is left to Heaven. A well can nourish, but whether anyone draws from it depends on people. Some gain, some lose; some are fortunate, some unfortunate—people bring these outcomes upon themselves. The exemplary person’s virtue certainly does not change because of this. The tools for drawing water include the rope and the vessel: the rope goes down and the vessel comes up, making the mechanism extremely swift. If they are abandoned and not used, the tools decay, and the well also falls into disuse. The instruments of government lie in virtue and ritual: guiding through virtue and ordering through ritual, their transformative power is profound. But if they are relaxed and not upheld, the instruments break, and government breaks down as well. Therefore the authors of the I Ching warned against failure and alarmed people with the prospect of misfortune; they also deeply regretted those who let their achievements wither just as they were nearing completion.
Viewed as a whole, this hexagram is the inverse of “Oppression.” The Sequence Commentary says: “What is oppressed above must return below; therefore it is followed by The Well.” The Miscellaneous Commentary says: “The Well connects, while Oppression brings things together.” When the places are exchanged, it becomes “Dispersion.” The Commentary on “Dispersion” says, “Riding wood accomplishes something”; “The Well” takes the well sweep rather than a boat, and in both cases Wood serves the same purpose. Its counterpart is “Biting Through,” which means nourishment and contains the meaning of the well’s nourishment. Its lower trigram is “Revolution,” which means change and contains the image “the town changes, but the well does not.” In short, “The Well” is a well: one may draw from it without exhausting it. Its function is nourishment; it gains a place yet does not change. Its virtue lies in firmness centered within. Whether people draw from it or not, the well itself has neither gain nor loss. One person draws, another draws too; it simply allows people to come and go. If someone abandons the rope and weakens the vessel, thinking that the well cannot be used for food, he has abandoned his own well. “The Well” itself is blameless, but the one drawing water meets misfortune. The entire hexagram’s image centers on Water, representing the inside of a well; the empty yin lines represent the opening through which water is drawn. The first yin line is below, hence “mud in the well.” The second supports a yang line but lacks the Water image, hence “worn and leaking.” The third is in its proper place and responds to the top, hence “receiving blessing.” The fourth cultivates virtue and repairs faults, hence “lining the well.” The fifth is firm, yang, centered, and correct, hence beautiful spring water. The top completes the work of nourishment, hence “the well is collected.” In terms of seasonal timing, the first line of Wood falls at the turn from spring to summer, when floodwater is muddy; hence “The Well” has mud. The second falls in the summer of Fire, when water contains many fish. The third and fourth lines correspond to autumn, when autumn water is clear. The third is Earth, so the spring flows out onto the ground; the fourth is Lake, hence its breaking and damage. The fifth and sixth correspond to winter, hence the well’s water is cold and pure. The top line ends in Water, representing the completion of water’s nourishing function. Generally, the Water of the lower trigram flows toward the southeast, where it is out of season and does not meet its opportunity, so it is inauspicious; the water of the upper trigram returns toward the northwest, where it finds the proper direction, so it is mostly auspicious.
The Commentary on the Image says: “Water above wood: The Well. Thus the exemplary person labors the people and encourages mutual assistance.”
Water is above, and Wood is below; the image is “water above wood,” namely the image described in the Tuan Commentary as “entering into the water and bringing up water.” The exemplary person contemplates this image, cultivates his virtue, and thereby “labors the people and encourages mutual assistance.” “Labor” means employing the people’s strength; “encourage” means guiding and urging; “assist” means supporting one another. Water is the trigram of labor; the nuclear trigram is Lake, which signifies joy, so joy is used in laboring the people. Lake also signifies the mouth, while Wood signifies sameness and interaction, giving the image of people united in heart and helping one another; hence “assistance.” The people of the world are boundless, and one person cannot nourish everyone. Therefore the exemplary person brings them together through work, encourages mutual aid, and causes neighboring communities and clans to draw close, while the poor and those in trouble relieve one another. By guiding, inducing, and supporting them, he fulfills the way by which people produce and nourish one another. In this way, the means of nourishing the people are complete in care and protection, and no one is left without nourishment. This is what is meant by “the well nourishes without being exhausted.”
[Divination]
○ Regarding current fortune: You are presently entering a cycle in which wood and water generate each other; this is exactly favorable for mutual assistance and accomplishing things.
○ Regarding warfare: There is an image of water extinguishing wood, so the naval forces face danger. They should exert themselves and assist one another; this can avert the crisis.
○ Regarding fame and rank: “Water above wood” has the image of spring rain bringing growth; fame and rank may be hoped for.
○ Regarding business: There is an image of profit exceeding the principal. Auspicious.
○ Regarding the home: The beams and pillars of this house may suffer dampness and decay; it should be repaired immediately.
○ Regarding marriage: Water is the man and Wood is the woman; the man is above the woman, which is the proper relation of yin and yang. Auspicious.
○ Regarding illness: Kidney water is suddenly overflowing; urgent treatment and regulation are advisable.
○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.
48 Water-Wind Jing
The hexagram has Kan above and Xun below. Xun signifies wind and also wood: wind is good at entering, while wood is good at emerging. With Xun below Kan, it enters the water and can also draw water out, giving the image of a well sweep. Kan signifies water and also a hollow. Water emerging from a hole in the ground is a well. The hexagram comes from Kun; when a lake dries up there is “no water,” and the reverse means water appears. Kan also signifies levelness; nothing is more level than the surface of water in a well. That is why this hexagram is called Jing.
Jing: The town may be changed but the well is not; there is neither loss nor gain, and those who come and go draw from the well. Almost reaching it, yet the rope has not been lowered into the well; the bucket is won or damaged, and this is misfortune.
▲ Bronze inscription: Jing
“Jing” means communication; it is something used in common by all things. In ancient times, whenever a city was established, a well had to be dug to nourish the people. Even if the city was moved or changed, the well's arrangement was not changed. People obtain nourishment from the well, yet the well is not thereby diminished, hence “no loss.” The well nourishes people, yet does not thereby claim merit, hence “no gain.” One only sees those who go coming and those who come going; people who obtain nourishment from the well never return to credit the well. The rope is used to draw something downward, and the bucket to hold it and raise it. If the rope has not been lowered but the bucket has already broken, the well is uselessly set up and the rope hangs uselessly in the air. Hence, “misfortune.”
The Tuan Commentary says: Xun enters the water and brings water upward; the well nourishes without exhaustion. The town may be changed but the well is not, because of firmness in the center. Almost reaching it, yet the rope has not been lowered into the well—there has been no accomplishment. The bucket breaks; therefore it is misfortune.
Xun as wood enters water; the image is taken from a well sweep. According to the Zhuangzi, wood is carved into a machine, heavy at the back and light at the front, which draws water as if pulling it out; it is called a gao. It is the water-wheel or windlass above a well, hence “Xun enters the water and brings water upward.” Xun signifies a rope, hence the image of the rope; Kan signifies emptiness, hence the image of the bucket. The rope is tied to the bucket in order to draw water upward. A well contains water, and taking water from it does not exhaust it, hence “the well nourishes without exhaustion.” The three yin and three yang lines originally derive from Qian and Kun. Kun signifies a town; when the Fifth of Kun transforms into Kan, the well is formed. Once the well is formed, Kun's town changes but Kan's well does not, hence “the town may be changed but the well is not.” The Commentary says “firmness in the center,” which comes from the Tuan Commentary on Kan: firmness in the center refers to Kan's Fifth, “not full, merely level.” This is what makes a well a well. Yet a well cannot nourish by itself; it must be drawn from for its nourishing function to appear. The rope pulls the water downward, and the bucket contains it and brings it upward; rope and bucket are the essential implements for drawing water. If one reaches the well but does not lower the rope, the well becomes an empty display—what accomplishment is there? If the bucket is then damaged, the rope is useless as well; the misfortune is obvious. “Qi” means nearly; “ju” means a rope; “lei” means a hooked bucket. The Appended Statements say, “The well is the ground of virtue,” taking its nourishing quality as the point. The well's inexhaustible nourishment is a metaphor for a ruler whose government lies in nourishing the people. Drawing from a well aims at obtaining water; governing aims at winning the people. One must not stop abruptly halfway and abandon the entire achievement. This is what Mencius meant by saying that digging a well but not reaching the spring is still abandoning the well; it expresses the same principle.
Interpreting this hexagram in terms of human affairs: “The Well” signifies regulation. A well regulates water so that it can be used for nourishment, just as people regulate wealth so that it may be kept in reserve. Countries undergo order and disorder, and towns change accordingly, but the well remains. Whether people draw from it or not, they neither gain nor lose anything by that fact; as far as “The Well” is concerned, it has nothing to do with gain or loss. The same is true of people’s handling of wealth. I have heard of people abandoning wealth for the sake of others, but never of people abandoning others for the sake of wealth. Those who rush away go for wealth, and those who come cheerfully come for wealth. Wealth lies in the earth, available for people to take without being exhausted, just as water lies in a well, available for people to draw without running dry. Yet one cannot go to draw water with bare hands. The lower trigram is Water, and the upper trigram is Wood: Water forms “The Well,” while Wood forms the well sweep; Wood also signifies the rope. The nuclear trigram is Fire, signifying the vessel, and Lake signifies its mouth—that is, the mouth of the well. This means that the well sweep draws the vessel down by a rope into the well mouth, then raises it with water. The Tuan Commentary’s words, “Enter into the water and bring up water,” describe the image of “The Well.” Remaining unchanged wherever it is located is the virtue of a well. But when the well’s rope has not been lowered, there is no way to bring up water, and the well accomplishes nothing; when the vessel has already become weakened, it is about to fall into the well, and the one drawing water will meet with misfortune. The Tuan Commentary speaks through “The Well,” but not only of wells. Everything in the world that regulates its source and keeps its flow open can be viewed through “The Well.” In the hexagram, the fifth line of Earth transforms into Water, while the first line of Heaven transforms into Wood. Heaven represents function; what is used profitably is wealth, and what sustains life is nourishment. These are all vital matters of human affairs. If one has nourishment but does not know what should be nourished, the well is nearly reduced to an empty vessel; if one has wealth but does not know how to use it, wealth ultimately becomes empty waste. This is not wealth’s fault, but people’s inability to draw from it properly. Thus the exemplary person “labors the people and encourages mutual assistance,” opening the sources and channels for the world.
Interpreting this hexagram in terms of the nation: The word “well” means nourishment. One nourishes the people according to what nourishes them, while the well itself does not know that it nourishes. The ruler nourishes the people through virtue, benefiting them according to what benefits them, while the ruler never speaks of profit. Wood means entering, Water means trust, and “The Well” means stillness. Because it enters, it connects and its resources do not run dry; because it is trustworthy, it is deep and does not shift when changed; because it is still, it is secure and responds without strain. These are the virtues of firmness centered within. The exemplary person models the virtue of the well: with depth like an abyss, cultivates himself; with the power to draw up nourishment, benefits the people. Extending himself to the people, he makes benefit universal. Yet even when the exemplary person possesses this virtue, whether he encounters opportunity or not is left to Heaven. A well can nourish, but whether anyone draws from it depends on people. Some gain, some lose; some are fortunate, some unfortunate—people bring these outcomes upon themselves. The exemplary person’s virtue certainly does not change because of this. The tools for drawing water include the rope and the vessel: the rope goes down and the vessel comes up, making the mechanism extremely swift. If they are abandoned and not used, the tools decay, and the well also falls into disuse. The instruments of government lie in virtue and ritual: guiding through virtue and ordering through ritual, their transformative power is profound. But if they are relaxed and not upheld, the instruments break, and government breaks down as well. Therefore the authors of the I Ching warned against failure and alarmed people with the prospect of misfortune; they also deeply regretted those who let their achievements wither just as they were nearing completion.
Viewed as a whole, this hexagram is the inverse of “Oppression.” The Sequence Commentary says: “What is oppressed above must return below; therefore it is followed by The Well.” The Miscellaneous Commentary says: “The Well connects, while Oppression brings things together.” When the places are exchanged, it becomes “Dispersion.” The Commentary on “Dispersion” says, “Riding wood accomplishes something”; “The Well” takes the well sweep rather than a boat, and in both cases Wood serves the same purpose. Its counterpart is “Biting Through,” which means nourishment and contains the meaning of the well’s nourishment. Its lower trigram is “Revolution,” which means change and contains the image “the town changes, but the well does not.” In short, “The Well” is a well: one may draw from it without exhausting it. Its function is nourishment; it gains a place yet does not change. Its virtue lies in firmness centered within. Whether people draw from it or not, the well itself has neither gain nor loss. One person draws, another draws too; it simply allows people to come and go. If someone abandons the rope and weakens the vessel, thinking that the well cannot be used for food, he has abandoned his own well. “The Well” itself is blameless, but the one drawing water meets misfortune. The entire hexagram’s image centers on Water, representing the inside of a well; the empty yin lines represent the opening through which water is drawn. The first yin line is below, hence “mud in the well.” The second supports a yang line but lacks the Water image, hence “worn and leaking.” The third is in its proper place and responds to the top, hence “receiving blessing.” The fourth cultivates virtue and repairs faults, hence “lining the well.” The fifth is firm, yang, centered, and correct, hence beautiful spring water. The top completes the work of nourishment, hence “the well is collected.” In terms of seasonal timing, the first line of Wood falls at the turn from spring to summer, when floodwater is muddy; hence “The Well” has mud. The second falls in the summer of Fire, when water contains many fish. The third and fourth lines correspond to autumn, when autumn water is clear. The third is Earth, so the spring flows out onto the ground; the fourth is Lake, hence its breaking and damage. The fifth and sixth correspond to winter, hence the well’s water is cold and pure. The top line ends in Water, representing the completion of water’s nourishing function. Generally, the Water of the lower trigram flows toward the southeast, where it is out of season and does not meet its opportunity, so it is inauspicious; the water of the upper trigram returns toward the northwest, where it finds the proper direction, so it is mostly auspicious.
The Commentary on the Image says: “Water above wood: The Well. Thus the exemplary person labors the people and encourages mutual assistance.”
Water is above, and Wood is below; the image is “water above wood,” namely the image described in the Tuan Commentary as “entering into the water and bringing up water.” The exemplary person contemplates this image, cultivates his virtue, and thereby “labors the people and encourages mutual assistance.” “Labor” means employing the people’s strength; “encourage” means guiding and urging; “assist” means supporting one another. Water is the trigram of labor; the nuclear trigram is Lake, which signifies joy, so joy is used in laboring the people. Lake also signifies the mouth, while Wood signifies sameness and interaction, giving the image of people united in heart and helping one another; hence “assistance.” The people of the world are boundless, and one person cannot nourish everyone. Therefore the exemplary person brings them together through work, encourages mutual aid, and causes neighboring communities and clans to draw close, while the poor and those in trouble relieve one another. By guiding, inducing, and supporting them, he fulfills the way by which people produce and nourish one another. In this way, the means of nourishing the people are complete in care and protection, and no one is left without nourishment. This is what is meant by “the well nourishes without being exhausted.”
[Divination]
○ Regarding current fortune: You are presently entering a cycle in which wood and water generate each other; this is exactly favorable for mutual assistance and accomplishing things.
○ Regarding warfare: There is an image of water extinguishing wood, so the naval forces face danger. They should exert themselves and assist one another; this can avert the crisis.
○ Regarding fame and rank: “Water above wood” has the image of spring rain bringing growth; fame and rank may be hoped for.
○ Regarding business: There is an image of profit exceeding the principal. Auspicious.
○ Regarding the home: The beams and pillars of this house may suffer dampness and decay; it should be repaired immediately.
○ Regarding marriage: Water is the man and Wood is the woman; the man is above the woman, which is the proper relation of yin and yang. Auspicious.
○ Regarding illness: Kidney water is suddenly overflowing; urgent treatment and regulation are advisable.
○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.
Six at the beginning: Mud in the well is not fit to eat; an old well has no birds.
Six at the beginning: Mud in the well is not fit to eat; an old well has no birds.
The Commentary on the Image says: “Mud in the well” means it is below. “An old well has no birds” means it has been abandoned by the times.
An “old well” is a well that has fallen into disrepair and is no longer maintained. “Birds” refers to the axle of the windlass, which operates the rope; because the axle was carved in the shape of a bird, it was called a “bird.” Some say the sound of the turning axle resembled a bird’s cry. The first line is at the very bottom, symbolizing the bottom of the well; the water has dried up and the mud is filthy, hence “mud in the well is not fit to eat.” It has become an abandoned well, and because a well left long unused becomes poisonous, people do not drink from it. Once the well is abandoned, the bird-shaped windlass axle also rots away and disappears, hence “an old well has no birds.” The Commentary on the Image explains “mud in the well” with “below,” meaning the mud is at the bottom and therefore cannot be used; it explains “old well” with “abandoned by the times,” meaning the well has become old and useless and is therefore cast aside by the age. According to the Commentary on the State of Lu, “take the named fish, ascend the river birds,” Wei Zhao notes that river birds are creatures such as sea turtles and giant clams. In the Forest of Changes, the line for “Retreat” changing to “The Well” says: “The old river is empty; the old well has no fish.” Thus, interpreting “no birds” as creatures such as shellfish, fish, and frogs also has textual support.
[Divination]
○ Regarding current fortune: The time has passed and your luck is declining; you are not being put to use by the world.
○ Regarding warfare: There is danger from rotten, outdated weapons and an inability to prevail.
○ Regarding business: The goods are stale and cannot be sold.
○ Regarding fame and rank: You are old and of no use.
○ Regarding illness: This is an old ailment. It will not be cured.
○ Regarding marriage: The person’s character is low, and although the families are old acquaintances, it will not work.
○ Regarding litigation: You certainly will not receive justice.
○ Regarding pregnancy: A boy will be born; guard against difficulty in raising him.
[Case] A certain friend came and asked for a divination concerning his fortunes; the resulting hexagram was “The Well” changing to “Waiting.”
The judgment said: The well is old, with mud and no birds; it is an abandoned well. In human terms, your fortune has declined and your time is failing, so you will certainly be discarded and left unused. The querent received this result. It shows that his character and conduct are low, he is abandoned by others, and he should not hope for a day when he will be advanced and employed. The first and fourth lines correspond: if the old well of the first line is repaired by the fourth, there will be no blame. At present, Your Excellency is still an old well, content to remain disgraced in the mud and unwilling to repent and reform yourself. Therefore you will ultimately be cast aside by the world and cannot be employed again.
The Commentary on the Image says: “Mud in the well” means it is below. “An old well has no birds” means it has been abandoned by the times.
An “old well” is a well that has fallen into disrepair and is no longer maintained. “Birds” refers to the axle of the windlass, which operates the rope; because the axle was carved in the shape of a bird, it was called a “bird.” Some say the sound of the turning axle resembled a bird’s cry. The first line is at the very bottom, symbolizing the bottom of the well; the water has dried up and the mud is filthy, hence “mud in the well is not fit to eat.” It has become an abandoned well, and because a well left long unused becomes poisonous, people do not drink from it. Once the well is abandoned, the bird-shaped windlass axle also rots away and disappears, hence “an old well has no birds.” The Commentary on the Image explains “mud in the well” with “below,” meaning the mud is at the bottom and therefore cannot be used; it explains “old well” with “abandoned by the times,” meaning the well has become old and useless and is therefore cast aside by the age. According to the Commentary on the State of Lu, “take the named fish, ascend the river birds,” Wei Zhao notes that river birds are creatures such as sea turtles and giant clams. In the Forest of Changes, the line for “Retreat” changing to “The Well” says: “The old river is empty; the old well has no fish.” Thus, interpreting “no birds” as creatures such as shellfish, fish, and frogs also has textual support.
[Divination]
○ Regarding current fortune: The time has passed and your luck is declining; you are not being put to use by the world.
○ Regarding warfare: There is danger from rotten, outdated weapons and an inability to prevail.
○ Regarding business: The goods are stale and cannot be sold.
○ Regarding fame and rank: You are old and of no use.
○ Regarding illness: This is an old ailment. It will not be cured.
○ Regarding marriage: The person’s character is low, and although the families are old acquaintances, it will not work.
○ Regarding litigation: You certainly will not receive justice.
○ Regarding pregnancy: A boy will be born; guard against difficulty in raising him.
[Case] A certain friend came and asked for a divination concerning his fortunes; the resulting hexagram was “The Well” changing to “Waiting.”
The judgment said: The well is old, with mud and no birds; it is an abandoned well. In human terms, your fortune has declined and your time is failing, so you will certainly be discarded and left unused. The querent received this result. It shows that his character and conduct are low, he is abandoned by others, and he should not hope for a day when he will be advanced and employed. The first and fourth lines correspond: if the old well of the first line is repaired by the fourth, there will be no blame. At present, Your Excellency is still an old well, content to remain disgraced in the mud and unwilling to repent and reform yourself. Therefore you will ultimately be cast aside by the world and cannot be employed again.
Nine in the second place: In the valley of the well, shoot at a small fish; the jar is worn and leaks.
Nine in the second place: In the valley of the well, shoot at a small fish; the jar is worn and leaks.
The Commentary on the Image says: “In the valley of the well, shoot at a small fish”: there is no one to associate with.
“The valley of the well” means a spring cavity. The Treatise on Ditches and Canals in the Book of Han says, “When passages beneath wells connect and carry water, they are called well-channels.” Thus wells indeed have side-openings and cavities; when the second line moves, the body becomes Mountain, and Mountain signifies a cavity. A “small fish” means a small fish; the Zixia Commentary says it means a frog. “The Well” is the hexagram of the fifth month, hence the frog. The Wings of the Erya says, “The small fish is the crucian carp,” written today as the same character for crucian carp. The second trigram is Wood, which signifies wind; wind governs insects. Frogs and fish alike belong to the classes of scaled or shelled creatures. “Shooting at a small fish” refers to the ancient practice of shooting fish. The Seasonal Instructions of the Huainanzi says, “In the last month of winter, the fishing master is ordered to begin fishing, and the Son of Heaven personally goes to shoot fish.” The Records of the Grand Historian says, “The First Emperor of Qin went to Zhifu to shoot and caught a huge fish.” There are no huge fish in a well valley; what is shot is only a small fish. A “jar” is a vessel for holding water, similar to a bottle. From the second through fourth lines, the nuclear trigram is Lake, symbolizing an open mouth; Wood below symbolizes a hole in the bottom, hence “the jar is worn and leaks.” This is exactly what the Tuan Commentary calls “the weakened vessel.” Since the function of “The Well” as water is to be drawn upward, water flowing downward through a bottomless broken jar contributes nothing to the well’s nourishing work. To take pride merely in shooting small fish is therefore something the exemplary person does not accept.
[Divination]
○ Regarding current fortune: What you gain is small, while what you lose is great.
○ Regarding warfare: You have mistakenly fallen into the enemy’s stratagem; the army enters a secluded valley, suffers broken cauldrons and inadequate supplies, and cannot get out.
○ Regarding fame and rank: You may win an empty reputation, but how long can it last?
○ Regarding business: Greed for unexpected wealth causes you to lose the profit that properly belongs to you.
○ Regarding marriage: The family background is humble, and its reputation is damaged and ruined. Unfavorable.
○ Regarding the home: This residence has an abandoned well; the well mouth is damaged, and its water is undrinkable.
○ Regarding illness: This is an ailment involving leakage below; it can be cured with treatment.
○ Regarding a lost object: The object is already worn out; even if found, it will be useless.
○ Regarding pregnancy: A boy will be born; guard against the child having a disability.
[Case] A certain friend came and asked for a divination concerning his fortunes; the resulting hexagram was “The Well” changing to “Obstruction.”
The judgment said: “The Well” is called nourishment, but a well cannot nourish itself; it is people who draw from it and use it for nourishment. Here, instead of taking water, you take a small fish; you take what should not be taken, thereby losing the meaning of “The Well.” You have drawn the second line of “The Well” for your fortune. I know that you have always loved learning and are like a well with a source. Your illness lies in devoting yourself exclusively to side paths while neglecting orthodox learning. You are like the side cavity of a well where water flows in a valley: shooting a small fish is not what one should obtain from a well. What does that ultimately have to do with the meaning of the well’s nourishment? “The jar is worn and leaks” means that the well water flows downward, just as a person’s social standing declines day by day. The line image is truly warning you. You should seek to understand the world’s circumstances and put things into practice personally; do not merely steal empty praise.
[Case] In 1901, a divination was made concerning the fortunes of the Ministry of Justice; the resulting hexagram was “The Well” changing to “Obstruction.”
The judgment said: In this hexagram, the lower three lines are the water inside the well, while the upper three lines are the drawing of water for use; therefore the lower three lines are inauspicious, and all three upper lines are auspicious. In recent years our country has allowed foreigners to live among us and, following the rules of the European and American nations, established laws. Our people living in European and American countries likewise receive their protection, so our country protects travelers from those countries as well; it is the same pattern in reverse. Now the second line has been drawn. In establishing laws, there may be a tendency to covet small benefits and thereby lose the larger whole—this is “in the valley of the well, shoot at a small fish; the jar is worn and leaks.” Those responsible for foreign affairs should take note.
The Commentary on the Image says: “In the valley of the well, shoot at a small fish”: there is no one to associate with.
“The valley of the well” means a spring cavity. The Treatise on Ditches and Canals in the Book of Han says, “When passages beneath wells connect and carry water, they are called well-channels.” Thus wells indeed have side-openings and cavities; when the second line moves, the body becomes Mountain, and Mountain signifies a cavity. A “small fish” means a small fish; the Zixia Commentary says it means a frog. “The Well” is the hexagram of the fifth month, hence the frog. The Wings of the Erya says, “The small fish is the crucian carp,” written today as the same character for crucian carp. The second trigram is Wood, which signifies wind; wind governs insects. Frogs and fish alike belong to the classes of scaled or shelled creatures. “Shooting at a small fish” refers to the ancient practice of shooting fish. The Seasonal Instructions of the Huainanzi says, “In the last month of winter, the fishing master is ordered to begin fishing, and the Son of Heaven personally goes to shoot fish.” The Records of the Grand Historian says, “The First Emperor of Qin went to Zhifu to shoot and caught a huge fish.” There are no huge fish in a well valley; what is shot is only a small fish. A “jar” is a vessel for holding water, similar to a bottle. From the second through fourth lines, the nuclear trigram is Lake, symbolizing an open mouth; Wood below symbolizes a hole in the bottom, hence “the jar is worn and leaks.” This is exactly what the Tuan Commentary calls “the weakened vessel.” Since the function of “The Well” as water is to be drawn upward, water flowing downward through a bottomless broken jar contributes nothing to the well’s nourishing work. To take pride merely in shooting small fish is therefore something the exemplary person does not accept.
[Divination]
○ Regarding current fortune: What you gain is small, while what you lose is great.
○ Regarding warfare: You have mistakenly fallen into the enemy’s stratagem; the army enters a secluded valley, suffers broken cauldrons and inadequate supplies, and cannot get out.
○ Regarding fame and rank: You may win an empty reputation, but how long can it last?
○ Regarding business: Greed for unexpected wealth causes you to lose the profit that properly belongs to you.
○ Regarding marriage: The family background is humble, and its reputation is damaged and ruined. Unfavorable.
○ Regarding the home: This residence has an abandoned well; the well mouth is damaged, and its water is undrinkable.
○ Regarding illness: This is an ailment involving leakage below; it can be cured with treatment.
○ Regarding a lost object: The object is already worn out; even if found, it will be useless.
○ Regarding pregnancy: A boy will be born; guard against the child having a disability.
[Case] A certain friend came and asked for a divination concerning his fortunes; the resulting hexagram was “The Well” changing to “Obstruction.”
The judgment said: “The Well” is called nourishment, but a well cannot nourish itself; it is people who draw from it and use it for nourishment. Here, instead of taking water, you take a small fish; you take what should not be taken, thereby losing the meaning of “The Well.” You have drawn the second line of “The Well” for your fortune. I know that you have always loved learning and are like a well with a source. Your illness lies in devoting yourself exclusively to side paths while neglecting orthodox learning. You are like the side cavity of a well where water flows in a valley: shooting a small fish is not what one should obtain from a well. What does that ultimately have to do with the meaning of the well’s nourishment? “The jar is worn and leaks” means that the well water flows downward, just as a person’s social standing declines day by day. The line image is truly warning you. You should seek to understand the world’s circumstances and put things into practice personally; do not merely steal empty praise.
[Case] In 1901, a divination was made concerning the fortunes of the Ministry of Justice; the resulting hexagram was “The Well” changing to “Obstruction.”
The judgment said: In this hexagram, the lower three lines are the water inside the well, while the upper three lines are the drawing of water for use; therefore the lower three lines are inauspicious, and all three upper lines are auspicious. In recent years our country has allowed foreigners to live among us and, following the rules of the European and American nations, established laws. Our people living in European and American countries likewise receive their protection, so our country protects travelers from those countries as well; it is the same pattern in reverse. Now the second line has been drawn. In establishing laws, there may be a tendency to covet small benefits and thereby lose the larger whole—this is “in the valley of the well, shoot at a small fish; the jar is worn and leaks.” Those responsible for foreign affairs should take note.
Nine in the third place: The well has been cleared, but no one drinks from it; my heart is troubled. It can be drawn from. If the king is enlightened, all will receive its blessing.
Nine in the third place: The well has been cleared, but no one drinks from it; my heart is troubled. It can be drawn from. If the king is enlightened, all will receive its blessing.
The Commentary on the Image says: “The well has been cleared, but no one drinks from it”: this troubles those who go forth. “Seek an enlightened king”: then blessing will be received.
“Clear” means to clean and maintain, removing the filth. The first line has “mud,” the second “leakage,” while the third is at the end of Wood; Wood has the meaning of cleansing and putting things in order, hence “the well has been cleared.” Once cleared, the mud is removed, the leak is sealed, and the water is clean and drinkable. If no one drinks from it, that is not the well’s fault. It is like a person who bathes his body and cultivates his virtue, whose kindness and benefits are sufficient to nourish others, yet those in authority do not recognize him while bystanders do. “I” refers to the bystander speaking of himself: seeing such clear spring water discarded as though worthless, I feel sorrow in my heart. Once the well has been dredged and repaired, no well is more suitable for drawing and use than this one. Not using it then would be extreme ignorance. How could an enlightened king not emerge to employ it? This is the prayer of the people, seeking that it be put to use. “The king” refers to the fifth line. From the third through fifth lines, the nuclear trigram is Fire, hence an enlightened king. Yang signifies blessing: when the ruler appoints and employs worthy people, virtue and beneficence spread far and wide. The blessing of the worthy is also the blessing of the enlightened ruler, and the blessing of the entire world. “All receive its blessing” means that the benefit of one well reaches ten thousand households.
(Additional note) “The Well” is the fifth-generation hexagram of the Palace of Thunder. Whenever illness or calamity is asked about and the lower trigram is obtained, there is usually no cure. If the lower trigram changes, the body of the vessel breaks and it cannot draw water—exactly what the Tuan text calls “the weakened vessel; misfortune.” Repairing the break is like a sick person receiving medical treatment; the misfortune can still be saved. This image has proved so consistent that over the past twenty years I have divined it repeatedly and found it repeatedly confirmed, without a single error.
[Divination]
○ Regarding current fortune: Your talent is not being used; fate is responsible for this.
○ Divination concerning warfare: The weapons have already been repaired and the soldiers are fit for use, but regrettably there is no commanding general, causing morale to decline. This is truly lamentable.
○ Divination concerning business: It is clearly evident that goods are converging from all directions, so profit can be made. But if there is no one to transport and trade them, they will merely be entrusted to no purpose.
○ Divination concerning fame and office: You have talent but lack opportunity, and are cast aside by the world. When two years have passed and the fifth line is reached, you may hope to be appointed.
○ Divination concerning marriage: It will not succeed for the time being. When the fifth line is reached, it will certainly be accomplished; this must be two years from now.
○ Divination concerning the home: This residence certainly has an old well that has long been choked up. It should be cleared and repaired. If the household draws and drinks this water, the whole family will receive blessings; if it is not cleared and the water is not used, it will be a great pity.
○ Divination concerning illness: This is certainly an ailment caused by an unsettled mind and spirit. Drinking from the spring indicated by the hexagram should bring a cure.
○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.
【Case】 In January of Meiji 26, while making New Year visits, I happened to call on a distinguished person. He looked at me and said, “Have you had any marvelous I Ching divinations lately?” I replied, “The images of the I Ching are subtle and profound. When sincere hearts resonate with them, nothing is not marvelous. Last October, I met with Mr. Sugiura Shigetsugu and several others at the Hoshigaoka Tea House, where we divined the outcome of the National Diet’s proceedings and received the Well hexagram, third line. At the time, the government and the House of Representatives disagreed, and the situation had become extremely fractured. Later, the matter was submitted to imperial judgment, and only then was an equitable settlement reached. This was what is meant by ‘the well in orderly order.’”
The judgment is as follows: The Well is one, yet many draw from it; hence ‘people come and go at the well,’ an image of the multitude. Imagine that when a well is first dug, it depends on many people to complete it. Once completed, everyone can draw from it and be nourished. Likewise, the establishment of a proposal depends on many people advocating it; once the proposal is settled, everyone follows it. In the House of Representatives, the position was that the people’s livelihood remained inadequate in many respects, so official expenses should be reduced and public finances organized, with the aim of opening the source of national prosperity. The government, however, said that the legislators did not understand the political system or current affairs, causing the two sides’ proposals to be incompatible. It was like people coming to a well to draw water, only to argue over whether the water was clear or muddy; both sides stopped drawing, and in the end nothing was accomplished. What good could possibly come of that? Those outside the dispute could not help but worry, which is precisely ‘the well is cleared but no one drinks; my heart is troubled.’ Since the government would not accept the House’s views, and the House sought to force the government, each clung to its own opinion until conflict resulted. The situation could not be stopped midway. Thus the only course was to appeal upward for an imperial decision, as the line text says: ‘Water may be drawn; when the king is enlightened, all receive its blessing.’ Fortunately, His Majesty was supremely benevolent and discerning, able to balance both sides: the government yielded where it could, and the House accommodated where it could. Within what was appropriate, a standard budget was established, allowing both above and below to obtain what they needed. Thus the whole realm ‘received its blessing together.’
On hearing this, the distinguished person said that I was merely guessing current affairs and using the I Ching as a pretext to construct an argument. I replied, “This is the I Ching’s anticipation of the hidden mechanism of events, which can run through matters beforehand. I merely discuss the I Ching through the I Ching; the correspondence with current affairs naturally cannot lie outside the I Ching.”
【Case】 In July of Meiji 23, Mr. Tomita Teijiro, head of the Niigata Court, came to visit. He was an old acquaintance whom I had not seen for several years. After we met, we spoke of the years apart, and he said, “I have come especially to thank you for your I Ching divination of years ago.” He then gave a detailed account of how he had formerly sought a divination and received the Well hexagram changing at the third line.
The line text says: ‘The well is cleared but no one drinks; my heart is troubled. Water may be drawn; when the king is enlightened, all receive its blessing.’ The well water is inherently clean, yet no one draws it, so the nourishing function of the well has no opportunity to operate. This illustrates that although a person may possess talent and virtue, if no one employs him, his ability to put them into practice remains unseen. He must be recognized by an enlightened king, selected and appointed; then not only one person receives the blessing, but the whole realm ‘receives its blessing together.’ Inferring from the line positions, the fifth line marks the day of appointment, while the sixth line marks the time of undertaking a major responsibility—roughly within three or four years. I said there would certainly be a corresponding fulfillment. By today, every phrase of the prediction has proven efficacious, without the slightest discrepancy. I was secretly delighted and came especially to offer my thanks.
The Commentary on the Image says: “The well has been cleared, but no one drinks from it”: this troubles those who go forth. “Seek an enlightened king”: then blessing will be received.
“Clear” means to clean and maintain, removing the filth. The first line has “mud,” the second “leakage,” while the third is at the end of Wood; Wood has the meaning of cleansing and putting things in order, hence “the well has been cleared.” Once cleared, the mud is removed, the leak is sealed, and the water is clean and drinkable. If no one drinks from it, that is not the well’s fault. It is like a person who bathes his body and cultivates his virtue, whose kindness and benefits are sufficient to nourish others, yet those in authority do not recognize him while bystanders do. “I” refers to the bystander speaking of himself: seeing such clear spring water discarded as though worthless, I feel sorrow in my heart. Once the well has been dredged and repaired, no well is more suitable for drawing and use than this one. Not using it then would be extreme ignorance. How could an enlightened king not emerge to employ it? This is the prayer of the people, seeking that it be put to use. “The king” refers to the fifth line. From the third through fifth lines, the nuclear trigram is Fire, hence an enlightened king. Yang signifies blessing: when the ruler appoints and employs worthy people, virtue and beneficence spread far and wide. The blessing of the worthy is also the blessing of the enlightened ruler, and the blessing of the entire world. “All receive its blessing” means that the benefit of one well reaches ten thousand households.
(Additional note) “The Well” is the fifth-generation hexagram of the Palace of Thunder. Whenever illness or calamity is asked about and the lower trigram is obtained, there is usually no cure. If the lower trigram changes, the body of the vessel breaks and it cannot draw water—exactly what the Tuan text calls “the weakened vessel; misfortune.” Repairing the break is like a sick person receiving medical treatment; the misfortune can still be saved. This image has proved so consistent that over the past twenty years I have divined it repeatedly and found it repeatedly confirmed, without a single error.
[Divination]
○ Regarding current fortune: Your talent is not being used; fate is responsible for this.
○ Divination concerning warfare: The weapons have already been repaired and the soldiers are fit for use, but regrettably there is no commanding general, causing morale to decline. This is truly lamentable.
○ Divination concerning business: It is clearly evident that goods are converging from all directions, so profit can be made. But if there is no one to transport and trade them, they will merely be entrusted to no purpose.
○ Divination concerning fame and office: You have talent but lack opportunity, and are cast aside by the world. When two years have passed and the fifth line is reached, you may hope to be appointed.
○ Divination concerning marriage: It will not succeed for the time being. When the fifth line is reached, it will certainly be accomplished; this must be two years from now.
○ Divination concerning the home: This residence certainly has an old well that has long been choked up. It should be cleared and repaired. If the household draws and drinks this water, the whole family will receive blessings; if it is not cleared and the water is not used, it will be a great pity.
○ Divination concerning illness: This is certainly an ailment caused by an unsettled mind and spirit. Drinking from the spring indicated by the hexagram should bring a cure.
○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.
【Case】 In January of Meiji 26, while making New Year visits, I happened to call on a distinguished person. He looked at me and said, “Have you had any marvelous I Ching divinations lately?” I replied, “The images of the I Ching are subtle and profound. When sincere hearts resonate with them, nothing is not marvelous. Last October, I met with Mr. Sugiura Shigetsugu and several others at the Hoshigaoka Tea House, where we divined the outcome of the National Diet’s proceedings and received the Well hexagram, third line. At the time, the government and the House of Representatives disagreed, and the situation had become extremely fractured. Later, the matter was submitted to imperial judgment, and only then was an equitable settlement reached. This was what is meant by ‘the well in orderly order.’”
The judgment is as follows: The Well is one, yet many draw from it; hence ‘people come and go at the well,’ an image of the multitude. Imagine that when a well is first dug, it depends on many people to complete it. Once completed, everyone can draw from it and be nourished. Likewise, the establishment of a proposal depends on many people advocating it; once the proposal is settled, everyone follows it. In the House of Representatives, the position was that the people’s livelihood remained inadequate in many respects, so official expenses should be reduced and public finances organized, with the aim of opening the source of national prosperity. The government, however, said that the legislators did not understand the political system or current affairs, causing the two sides’ proposals to be incompatible. It was like people coming to a well to draw water, only to argue over whether the water was clear or muddy; both sides stopped drawing, and in the end nothing was accomplished. What good could possibly come of that? Those outside the dispute could not help but worry, which is precisely ‘the well is cleared but no one drinks; my heart is troubled.’ Since the government would not accept the House’s views, and the House sought to force the government, each clung to its own opinion until conflict resulted. The situation could not be stopped midway. Thus the only course was to appeal upward for an imperial decision, as the line text says: ‘Water may be drawn; when the king is enlightened, all receive its blessing.’ Fortunately, His Majesty was supremely benevolent and discerning, able to balance both sides: the government yielded where it could, and the House accommodated where it could. Within what was appropriate, a standard budget was established, allowing both above and below to obtain what they needed. Thus the whole realm ‘received its blessing together.’
On hearing this, the distinguished person said that I was merely guessing current affairs and using the I Ching as a pretext to construct an argument. I replied, “This is the I Ching’s anticipation of the hidden mechanism of events, which can run through matters beforehand. I merely discuss the I Ching through the I Ching; the correspondence with current affairs naturally cannot lie outside the I Ching.”
【Case】 In July of Meiji 23, Mr. Tomita Teijiro, head of the Niigata Court, came to visit. He was an old acquaintance whom I had not seen for several years. After we met, we spoke of the years apart, and he said, “I have come especially to thank you for your I Ching divination of years ago.” He then gave a detailed account of how he had formerly sought a divination and received the Well hexagram changing at the third line.
The line text says: ‘The well is cleared but no one drinks; my heart is troubled. Water may be drawn; when the king is enlightened, all receive its blessing.’ The well water is inherently clean, yet no one draws it, so the nourishing function of the well has no opportunity to operate. This illustrates that although a person may possess talent and virtue, if no one employs him, his ability to put them into practice remains unseen. He must be recognized by an enlightened king, selected and appointed; then not only one person receives the blessing, but the whole realm ‘receives its blessing together.’ Inferring from the line positions, the fifth line marks the day of appointment, while the sixth line marks the time of undertaking a major responsibility—roughly within three or four years. I said there would certainly be a corresponding fulfillment. By today, every phrase of the prediction has proven efficacious, without the slightest discrepancy. I was secretly delighted and came especially to offer my thanks.
Nine in the fourth place: The well is lined with bricks; no blame.
Nine in the fourth place: The well is lined with bricks; no blame.
The Commentary on the Image says: ‘The well is lined with bricks; no blame’ means repairing the well.
‘Lining’ means building the well with bricks to prevent it from collapsing. In this hexagram, the three yang lines represent the spring, while the three yin lines represent the well. The bottom line is the lowest and is called ‘mud’; the top line is the highest and is called ‘collecting.’ The fourth line lies between them, remains in its proper position, and is therefore called ‘lining.’ Wells generally decay because they become foul and are not repaired, eventually becoming useless. Since the fourth line can line the well, it obtains ‘no blame.’ It is through the fourth line’s lining that the fifth line’s ‘cold spring’ can exist; by assisting the fifth line in nourishing people, everything depends on the fourth line’s lining. The merit of lining a well truly cannot be considered small.
[Divination]
○ Divination concerning current fortune: You are precisely at a time when your fortunes are changing. You should cultivate and discipline yourself; not only will there be no blame, you may hope to advance.
○ Divination concerning business: You should reorganize the old enterprise; profit can naturally be gained.
○ Divination concerning fame and office: By cultivating yourself and establishing a reputation, you may achieve great fulfillment after two or three years.
○ Divination concerning warfare: This is the time described in the poem: ‘Repair my spears and halberds; with you I shall join the undertaking.’
○ Divination concerning marriage: You still need to wait for the right time.
○ Divination concerning the home: This residence should be renovated; that will bring good fortune.
○ Divination concerning pregnancy: There is an image of bearing a daughter.
【Case】 Near the foreign settlement at Yokohama’s port town was a market for fish, birds, vegetables, and livestock. This market had been established under the treaties opening the ports to various countries, and its business was extremely prosperous. One day a friend came and said, “Recently, merchants at the Yokohama market have engaged in a major dispute, eventually suspending business. Someone wants to step forward and mediate but has found no way to settle it. I therefore ask for a divination.” The casting produced the Well hexagram changing to Great Excess.
The judgment is as follows: Regarding commerce in the market, both sides are mutually connected, like the rope and bucket used to draw water from a well. If there is a well but no rope and bucket, how can the well water be drawn? If there is a rope and bucket but no well, they will ultimately be useless. Since both trade in the same market, if there is profit both profit, and if there is harm both suffer. Fighting one another must lead to mutual ruin. The third line is now obtained, which says, ‘The well is lined with bricks; no blame.’ ‘Lining’ means putting the well in order, rebuilding it because it has deteriorated. The two businesses have suffered deterioration through this dispute, and the person who steps forward to repair matters is represented by the fourth line. The fourth line is the mediator positioned in the center. Once the fourth mediates, the fifth line’s ‘cold spring’ can again be drunk. The fourth and fifth lines are separated by one line; if one line corresponds to one month, reconciliation must come next month, and the old business will resume.
【Case】 Divination concerning the dispute between Qing and France over Annam. Hostilities began in the third or fourth month of this year, but to this day no reliable news has arrived as to whether there will be peace or war. Everything reported by the newspapers comes from street gossip and hearsay and is not sufficiently trustworthy. I therefore first cast for Qing and received the Well hexagram changing to Great Excess.
The judgment is as follows: The virtue of the hexagram is that the well nourishes without exhaustion, indicating that the well is great and many obtain nourishment from it. This is an analogy for the greatness of Qing: its products are abundant, and other countries all wish to trade with it and receive its benefits. Thus those who have already drawn depart, while those who have not drawn arrive; its trade goods are inexhaustible, just as well water never runs out when drawn. However, Qing’s navigation is not yet advanced, so it cannot transport its products overseas by its own means. It is like water that cannot leave the well by itself and must await someone to draw it before it can nourish things. Therefore, in the present Annam affair, although Qing may wish to wage war against France, it will ultimately not fight; just as well water cannot move itself, Qing can be known not to initiate war. If Qing should unexpectedly decide to fight, it would greatly obstruct trade with all countries. Countries outside the dispute and remaining neutral would certainly come forward to mediate and protect their interests by every possible means, just as lining a well with bricks prevents filth from entering. ‘The well is lined with bricks; no blame’ refers to this. From the fourth line of the Well hexagram to the fourth line of Revolution is seven years; during the next seven years, Qing will certainly undergo reform. The proverb says, ‘When the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold.’ Our country should likewise make strict preparations in advance.
The Commentary on the Image says: ‘The well is lined with bricks; no blame’ means repairing the well.
‘Lining’ means building the well with bricks to prevent it from collapsing. In this hexagram, the three yang lines represent the spring, while the three yin lines represent the well. The bottom line is the lowest and is called ‘mud’; the top line is the highest and is called ‘collecting.’ The fourth line lies between them, remains in its proper position, and is therefore called ‘lining.’ Wells generally decay because they become foul and are not repaired, eventually becoming useless. Since the fourth line can line the well, it obtains ‘no blame.’ It is through the fourth line’s lining that the fifth line’s ‘cold spring’ can exist; by assisting the fifth line in nourishing people, everything depends on the fourth line’s lining. The merit of lining a well truly cannot be considered small.
[Divination]
○ Divination concerning current fortune: You are precisely at a time when your fortunes are changing. You should cultivate and discipline yourself; not only will there be no blame, you may hope to advance.
○ Divination concerning business: You should reorganize the old enterprise; profit can naturally be gained.
○ Divination concerning fame and office: By cultivating yourself and establishing a reputation, you may achieve great fulfillment after two or three years.
○ Divination concerning warfare: This is the time described in the poem: ‘Repair my spears and halberds; with you I shall join the undertaking.’
○ Divination concerning marriage: You still need to wait for the right time.
○ Divination concerning the home: This residence should be renovated; that will bring good fortune.
○ Divination concerning pregnancy: There is an image of bearing a daughter.
【Case】 Near the foreign settlement at Yokohama’s port town was a market for fish, birds, vegetables, and livestock. This market had been established under the treaties opening the ports to various countries, and its business was extremely prosperous. One day a friend came and said, “Recently, merchants at the Yokohama market have engaged in a major dispute, eventually suspending business. Someone wants to step forward and mediate but has found no way to settle it. I therefore ask for a divination.” The casting produced the Well hexagram changing to Great Excess.
The judgment is as follows: Regarding commerce in the market, both sides are mutually connected, like the rope and bucket used to draw water from a well. If there is a well but no rope and bucket, how can the well water be drawn? If there is a rope and bucket but no well, they will ultimately be useless. Since both trade in the same market, if there is profit both profit, and if there is harm both suffer. Fighting one another must lead to mutual ruin. The third line is now obtained, which says, ‘The well is lined with bricks; no blame.’ ‘Lining’ means putting the well in order, rebuilding it because it has deteriorated. The two businesses have suffered deterioration through this dispute, and the person who steps forward to repair matters is represented by the fourth line. The fourth line is the mediator positioned in the center. Once the fourth mediates, the fifth line’s ‘cold spring’ can again be drunk. The fourth and fifth lines are separated by one line; if one line corresponds to one month, reconciliation must come next month, and the old business will resume.
【Case】 Divination concerning the dispute between Qing and France over Annam. Hostilities began in the third or fourth month of this year, but to this day no reliable news has arrived as to whether there will be peace or war. Everything reported by the newspapers comes from street gossip and hearsay and is not sufficiently trustworthy. I therefore first cast for Qing and received the Well hexagram changing to Great Excess.
The judgment is as follows: The virtue of the hexagram is that the well nourishes without exhaustion, indicating that the well is great and many obtain nourishment from it. This is an analogy for the greatness of Qing: its products are abundant, and other countries all wish to trade with it and receive its benefits. Thus those who have already drawn depart, while those who have not drawn arrive; its trade goods are inexhaustible, just as well water never runs out when drawn. However, Qing’s navigation is not yet advanced, so it cannot transport its products overseas by its own means. It is like water that cannot leave the well by itself and must await someone to draw it before it can nourish things. Therefore, in the present Annam affair, although Qing may wish to wage war against France, it will ultimately not fight; just as well water cannot move itself, Qing can be known not to initiate war. If Qing should unexpectedly decide to fight, it would greatly obstruct trade with all countries. Countries outside the dispute and remaining neutral would certainly come forward to mediate and protect their interests by every possible means, just as lining a well with bricks prevents filth from entering. ‘The well is lined with bricks; no blame’ refers to this. From the fourth line of the Well hexagram to the fourth line of Revolution is seven years; during the next seven years, Qing will certainly undergo reform. The proverb says, ‘When the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold.’ Our country should likewise make strict preparations in advance.
Nine in the fifth place: The well water is clear; the cold spring is drunk.
Nine in the fifth place: The well water is clear; the cold spring is drunk.
The Commentary on the Image says: ‘The food of the cold bundle is central and correct.’
‘Clear’ means that the water is pure; because the well water is at the top, it is clear. The fifth line is the ruler of the Water trigram and occupies the central, correct position. Water represents a cold spring; the earthly branch Zi is water, belongs to the north, and therefore signifies coldness. Consider the nature of water: in winter it is warm, and in summer it is cold. Yin contains yang and yang contains yin; such is its nature. The Well is the hexagram of the fifth lunar month, and therefore the water is both clear and cold. Mencius said, ‘On a summer day one drinks water; in winter one drinks broth.’ In the height of summer, drawing and drinking this cold spring means obtaining what suits the season. Once the Well’s third line has cleared it and the fourth has lined it, the mud is removed and leaks are stopped; then the fifth line’s cold spring emerges, and many return to it. Thus many receive its blessing. The ruler’s virtue moistens the people and reaches everywhere; it is the same. The Well’s nuclear correspondence is Biting Through; ‘Biting Through’ means eating, hence ‘the well water is clear; the cold spring is drunk.’
[Divination]
○ Divination concerning current fortune: The household’s circumstances are bound to be cold and austere, but fortunately the right time has arrived, so advancement and appointment may be hoped for.
○ Divination concerning business: The well producing a cold spring symbolizes a long-lasting source of wealth; profit may be expected.
○ Divination concerning fame and office: With upright conduct, you may enjoy the honor of being supported like a vessel of the royal cauldron.
○ Divination concerning the home: There is the spirit of clean springs and yielding waters—purity and modest generosity.
○ Divination concerning marriage: The family backgrounds are pure; sharing sweetness and hardship together is the proper way of husband and wife.
○ Divination concerning illness: This is a condition of external cold and internal heat; a cooling medicine should be taken.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】 In Meiji 22, I divined the fortune of Count Yamagata and obtained the Well hexagram changing to Increase.
The judgment is as follows: A well exists to nourish people, but if no one draws from it, then even if its spring is clear, it has no opportunity to fulfill its nourishing function. This illustrates that although a worthy person’s benevolence is sufficient to benefit the people, if he is not promoted, his talent remains below and has no means to extend that benefit. In divining Count Yamagata’s fortune, I obtained the fifth line of the Well changing to Increase, indicating that the Count’s talent and virtue were profound, his principles pure, and that he had risen from humble circumstances to a distinguished position. The spread of his benefits would be endless, just as when ‘the king is enlightened’ and ‘water is drawn,’ so that all ‘receive its blessing together.’ The line saying ‘The well is lined with bricks’ illustrates the Count’s clear and lucid spirit; ‘the cold spring is drunk’ illustrates how the people who partake of his virtue would feel as though they had taken one draught of a cold spring, suddenly sensing coolness throughout the chest and diaphragm. The Count’s kindness would be inexhaustible, and his honor and prominence would likewise have no end.
That year, Count Yamagata indeed became Prime Minister. At the time, I submitted this divination text to Prince Sanjo and Count Ito.
The Commentary on the Image says: ‘The food of the cold bundle is central and correct.’
‘Clear’ means that the water is pure; because the well water is at the top, it is clear. The fifth line is the ruler of the Water trigram and occupies the central, correct position. Water represents a cold spring; the earthly branch Zi is water, belongs to the north, and therefore signifies coldness. Consider the nature of water: in winter it is warm, and in summer it is cold. Yin contains yang and yang contains yin; such is its nature. The Well is the hexagram of the fifth lunar month, and therefore the water is both clear and cold. Mencius said, ‘On a summer day one drinks water; in winter one drinks broth.’ In the height of summer, drawing and drinking this cold spring means obtaining what suits the season. Once the Well’s third line has cleared it and the fourth has lined it, the mud is removed and leaks are stopped; then the fifth line’s cold spring emerges, and many return to it. Thus many receive its blessing. The ruler’s virtue moistens the people and reaches everywhere; it is the same. The Well’s nuclear correspondence is Biting Through; ‘Biting Through’ means eating, hence ‘the well water is clear; the cold spring is drunk.’
[Divination]
○ Divination concerning current fortune: The household’s circumstances are bound to be cold and austere, but fortunately the right time has arrived, so advancement and appointment may be hoped for.
○ Divination concerning business: The well producing a cold spring symbolizes a long-lasting source of wealth; profit may be expected.
○ Divination concerning fame and office: With upright conduct, you may enjoy the honor of being supported like a vessel of the royal cauldron.
○ Divination concerning the home: There is the spirit of clean springs and yielding waters—purity and modest generosity.
○ Divination concerning marriage: The family backgrounds are pure; sharing sweetness and hardship together is the proper way of husband and wife.
○ Divination concerning illness: This is a condition of external cold and internal heat; a cooling medicine should be taken.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】 In Meiji 22, I divined the fortune of Count Yamagata and obtained the Well hexagram changing to Increase.
The judgment is as follows: A well exists to nourish people, but if no one draws from it, then even if its spring is clear, it has no opportunity to fulfill its nourishing function. This illustrates that although a worthy person’s benevolence is sufficient to benefit the people, if he is not promoted, his talent remains below and has no means to extend that benefit. In divining Count Yamagata’s fortune, I obtained the fifth line of the Well changing to Increase, indicating that the Count’s talent and virtue were profound, his principles pure, and that he had risen from humble circumstances to a distinguished position. The spread of his benefits would be endless, just as when ‘the king is enlightened’ and ‘water is drawn,’ so that all ‘receive its blessing together.’ The line saying ‘The well is lined with bricks’ illustrates the Count’s clear and lucid spirit; ‘the cold spring is drunk’ illustrates how the people who partake of his virtue would feel as though they had taken one draught of a cold spring, suddenly sensing coolness throughout the chest and diaphragm. The Count’s kindness would be inexhaustible, and his honor and prominence would likewise have no end.
That year, Count Yamagata indeed became Prime Minister. At the time, I submitted this divination text to Prince Sanjo and Count Ito.
Six in the sixth place: The well is open and uncovered; there is trust—great good fortune.
Six in the sixth place: The well is open and uncovered; there is trust—great good fortune.
The Commentary on the Image says: ‘Great good fortune at the top’ means complete accomplishment.
‘Collecting’ refers to the windlass being drawn up. ‘Cover’ means the lid of a well. ‘Do not cover’ means what the Tuan Commentary calls ‘people come and go at the well’: many draw from it day and night, and it never runs dry. The well does not claim exclusive possession or keep its benefits private; it lets anyone draw and irrigate, hence ‘do not cover.’ The top line is at the extreme of the Water trigram, and its split form suggests an open, uncovered well. ‘Trust’ refers to the fifth line, which is ‘the enlightened king’ capable of employing the one who can draw water. ‘Great good fortune’: great means that the well’s benefit is great, and therefore its good fortune is also great. ‘At the top’ means that the top line is at the mouth of the well, from which the work of nourishing people proceeds. ‘Complete accomplishment’ means that the way of nourishing through the well has here reached full completion. Among the line statements, a yielding yin line at the top is usually inauspicious; only in the Well hexagram does being at the top bring ‘great good fortune.’
[Divination]
○ Divination concerning current fortune: Your merits are recognized in the world and you have people’s trust. ‘Complete accomplishment’ and ‘great good fortune’ indicate the height of prosperity.
○ Divination concerning fame and office: There is an image of being put to great use and receiving great responsibilities, not merely holding a minor post in one office or district.
○ Divination concerning business: Business affairs converge and profits are abundant. It can endure and grow; nothing undertaken is not auspicious.
○ Divination concerning marriage: The upper line corresponds to the third; the third says ‘all receive its blessing together,’ so both families will be auspicious.
○ Divination concerning warfare: Whenever an army sets out, it removes its tent covering. ‘Do not cover’ thus means removing the covering and advancing. Victory is achieved in one battle, hence ‘complete accomplishment.’ Auspicious.
○ Divination concerning illness: ‘Cover’ can also mean evening; this indicates recovery by morning or evening. Auspicious.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】 In Meiji 30, I divined the state of trade and obtained the Well hexagram changing to the Wind.
The judgment is as follows: This hexagram has Wind wood below and Water above, precisely what the Tuan Commentary calls ‘wind enters the water and rises upon the water’; it is an image of drawing water from a well. By the top line, the well’s function has been completed. ‘Do not cover’ is what Wang Bi meant by ‘not claiming exclusive possession and not keeping its benefit private.’ Foreign merchants trade with our merchants. Our country does not export by itself but waits for foreign ships to transport goods away, like well water waiting for people to draw it. The inner three lines show that the well water is not drunk, symbolizing goods that cannot sell briskly; the outer three lines show a fine spring fit for drinking, with many drawing from it. The fourth line corresponds to July and August, the fifth to September and October, and the top line is already at the well mouth, corresponding to November and December. This is precisely when all goods converge and sales and transport flourish; in the silk industry alone, large-scale exports marked the best condition for trade.
Indeed, during the first half of the year, the raw-silk market was sluggish. After July and August it gradually picked up, and in November and December the market price rose above one thousand francs. Foreign merchants bought it all, while domestic mechanical weaving mills instead suspended operations.
The Commentary on the Image says: ‘Great good fortune at the top’ means complete accomplishment.
‘Collecting’ refers to the windlass being drawn up. ‘Cover’ means the lid of a well. ‘Do not cover’ means what the Tuan Commentary calls ‘people come and go at the well’: many draw from it day and night, and it never runs dry. The well does not claim exclusive possession or keep its benefits private; it lets anyone draw and irrigate, hence ‘do not cover.’ The top line is at the extreme of the Water trigram, and its split form suggests an open, uncovered well. ‘Trust’ refers to the fifth line, which is ‘the enlightened king’ capable of employing the one who can draw water. ‘Great good fortune’: great means that the well’s benefit is great, and therefore its good fortune is also great. ‘At the top’ means that the top line is at the mouth of the well, from which the work of nourishing people proceeds. ‘Complete accomplishment’ means that the way of nourishing through the well has here reached full completion. Among the line statements, a yielding yin line at the top is usually inauspicious; only in the Well hexagram does being at the top bring ‘great good fortune.’
[Divination]
○ Divination concerning current fortune: Your merits are recognized in the world and you have people’s trust. ‘Complete accomplishment’ and ‘great good fortune’ indicate the height of prosperity.
○ Divination concerning fame and office: There is an image of being put to great use and receiving great responsibilities, not merely holding a minor post in one office or district.
○ Divination concerning business: Business affairs converge and profits are abundant. It can endure and grow; nothing undertaken is not auspicious.
○ Divination concerning marriage: The upper line corresponds to the third; the third says ‘all receive its blessing together,’ so both families will be auspicious.
○ Divination concerning warfare: Whenever an army sets out, it removes its tent covering. ‘Do not cover’ thus means removing the covering and advancing. Victory is achieved in one battle, hence ‘complete accomplishment.’ Auspicious.
○ Divination concerning illness: ‘Cover’ can also mean evening; this indicates recovery by morning or evening. Auspicious.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】 In Meiji 30, I divined the state of trade and obtained the Well hexagram changing to the Wind.
The judgment is as follows: This hexagram has Wind wood below and Water above, precisely what the Tuan Commentary calls ‘wind enters the water and rises upon the water’; it is an image of drawing water from a well. By the top line, the well’s function has been completed. ‘Do not cover’ is what Wang Bi meant by ‘not claiming exclusive possession and not keeping its benefit private.’ Foreign merchants trade with our merchants. Our country does not export by itself but waits for foreign ships to transport goods away, like well water waiting for people to draw it. The inner three lines show that the well water is not drunk, symbolizing goods that cannot sell briskly; the outer three lines show a fine spring fit for drinking, with many drawing from it. The fourth line corresponds to July and August, the fifth to September and October, and the top line is already at the well mouth, corresponding to November and December. This is precisely when all goods converge and sales and transport flourish; in the silk industry alone, large-scale exports marked the best condition for trade.
Indeed, during the first half of the year, the raw-silk market was sluggish. After July and August it gradually picked up, and in November and December the market price rose above one thousand francs. Foreign merchants bought it all, while domestic mechanical weaving mills instead suspended operations.