King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Hexagram 48 井 changing to hexagram 6 訟

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Changing lines (counted from the bottom): 3, 4, 6.

What to read

Three changing lines: read the judgments of the original and the resulting hexagram; the original is the main one. (Rule set out by Zhu Xi in the Yixue qimeng.)

Judgment of hexagram 48 井

改邑不改井,无喪无得,往來井井。汔至亦未繘井。羸其瓶,凶。

(Looking at) Zing, (we think of) how (the site of) a town may be changed, while (the fashion of) its wells undergoes no change. (The water of a well) never disappears and never receives (any great) increase, and those who come and those who go can draw and enjoy the benefit. If (the drawing) have nearly been accomplished, but, before the rope has quite reached the water, the bucket is broken, this is evil.

Judgment of hexagram 6 訟

有孚,窒,惕,中吉,終凶。利見大人,不利涉大川。

Sung intimates how, though there is sincerity in one's contention, he will yet meet with opposition and obstruction; but if he cherish an apprehensive caution, there will be good fortune, while, if he must prosecute the contention to the (bitter) end, there will be evil. It will be advantageous to see the great man; it will not be advantageous to cross the great stream.

The two hexagrams

Hexagram 48 井 — judgment

改邑不改井,无喪无得,往來井井。汔至亦未繘井。羸其瓶,凶。

(Looking at) Zing, (we think of) how (the site of) a town may be changed, while (the fashion of) its wells undergoes no change. (The water of a well) never disappears and never receives (any great) increase, and those who come and those who go can draw and enjoy the benefit. If (the drawing) have nearly been accomplished, but, before the rope has quite reached the water, the bucket is broken, this is evil.

Hexagram 6 訟 — judgment

有孚,窒,惕,中吉,終凶。利見大人,不利涉大川。

Sung intimates how, though there is sincerity in one's contention, he will yet meet with opposition and obstruction; but if he cherish an apprehensive caution, there will be good fortune, while, if he must prosecute the contention to the (bitter) end, there will be evil. It will be advantageous to see the great man; it will not be advantageous to cross the great stream.

The changing lines of hexagram 48

LineChineseLegge
3井渫不食,為我心惻,可用汲,王明,並受其福。The third line, undivided, shows a well, which has been cleared out, but is not used. Our hearts are sorry for this, for the water might be drawn out and used. If the king were (only) intelligent, both he and we might receive the benefit of it.
4井甃,无咎。The fourth line, divided, shows a well, the lining of which is well laid. There will be no error.
6井收勿幕,有孚元吉。The topmost line, divided, shows (the water from) the well brought to the top, which is not allowed to be covered. This suggests the idea of sincerity. There will be great good fortune.

English: James Legge (1882), public domain. Chinese: Zhou Yi.

Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.