yo
tyler
48

Jing :: The Well

A town moves: but a well1 cannot :: No loss, no gain: there is a constant coming and going :: The rope is too short or the bucket is broken : inauspicious

井
䷯
6 :: first
A muddy well. No one drinks. Even the animals abandon the well.
You are in an unsustainable environment. Even your wild imagination (wild animals) can find nothing useful at the bottom of a muddy well.
9 :: second
Shooting the fish at the bottom of the well. The bucket is damaged.
You are being reckless and wasteful. Your selfish and passionate misconduct ruins any potential in the situation.
6 :: third
No one drinks at the restored well. I am sad.
The ruler is generous but no one shares in the blessings. You apologize for your former selfish misconduct, but no one appreciates the gesture. You have recovered your manners and reformed your conduct but you are still mistrusted.
9 :: fourth
Well tiles repaired. No misfortune.
Make use of existing resources. Repair the old well rather than dig a new well. Better to reform the law than to revolt and overthrow the government. This is a classic fourth line.
9 :: fifth
A well of clear and cool spring water. Drink.
What is great about Nature is its naturalness. The real benefit of a well (art or industry) is water (the flexibility of nature). What is great about a ruler is his/her natural clarity (clear) and calm (cool). Self-reflection brings enlightenment.
6 :: top
The well is drawn dry. No need to cover. When the well resumes, good fortune.
Do not mistake a temporary shortage for a total loss. When you read Nature's omen (dry well, full well) carefully, you learn to trust Nature's constancy (Da).
Image

Jing is a well that taps a spring. Symbolically it is any mechanism (art, ritual or tool) by which human beings discover and/or express their interconnect-edness to nature (each other, ancestors, Da). Wells were part of ancient city planning, and for practical and symbolic reasons, the wells were placed at the center of each orderly neighborhood.

Auspices

The auspice of Jing is mixed-there is a different auspice for each line. Adaptability to the unevenness (cycles) of nature brings success.

Good for collective or social action, elections, marriage, recovery, and reform.
Bad for retreat, isolation, new ventures, or innovation.
Comment

Jing is about the natural reciprocity in the human relationship to nature. The Zhouyi says that the unevenness of nature (well) mirrors the unevenness of our conduct. If we act inappropriately we ruin our resources (dry well). In the Zhouyi nature is not an almighty god that stands in judgment of us, meting out punishment for our wrongs. Nature is a dialog.

In Jing, wells, like all great constructions of human culture and religion, are dialogs with nature. Observing the responses of the well we learn the simple protocols of nature and spontaneously create a natural conservancy-a natural morality, beyond optimism, pessimism and idealism.

Other Correspondences
Business: Taking stock, refurbishing equipment, refinancing, banking, and long-term investing.
Disharmonies: Influenza, colds, urinary problems, excess damp, and minor ailments.
Prognosis: Good. The patient's recovery accompanies a personal awakening and reform.