井 Jǐng

Classical Text

井巽下坎上 井，改邑不改井， 无喪无得， 往來井井。 汔至亦未繘井， 羸其瓶，凶。 「无喪无得」者，此明井用有常德，終日引汲，未嘗言損。終日泉注，未嘗言益，故曰无喪无得也。 「往來井井」者，此明性常。井井，絜靜之貌也。往者來者，皆使絜靜，不以人有往來改其洗濯之性，故曰往來井井也。 「汔至亦未繘井，羸其瓶，凶」者，此下明井，誡言井功難成也。汔，幾也。幾，近也。繘，綆也。雖汲水以至井上，然綆出猶未離井口，而鉤羸其瓶而覆之也。棄其方成之功，雖有出井之勞，而與未汲不異，喻今人行常德，須善始令終。若有初无終，則必致凶咎，故曰「汔至亦未繘井，羸其瓶，凶」。言亦者，不必之辭，言不必有如此不克終者。計覆一瓶之水，何足言凶？以喻人之修德不成，又云但取喻人之德行不恒，不能慎終如始，故就人言凶也。

Jing (The Well) — Xun below, Kan above The Well: One may change the city but cannot change the well. There is no loss and no gain. Those who come and go find the well always the same. When nearly arrived, if the rope has not yet reached the well, or if one snags and overturns the pitcher — misfortune. 'No loss and no gain' — this clarifies that the well's function possesses constant virtue. All day long one draws water from it, yet never speaks of diminishment. All day long the spring pours forth, yet never speaks of increase. Therefore it says 'no loss and no gain.' 'Those who come and go find the well always the same' — this clarifies the constancy of its nature. 'Well, well' (jing jing) describes the appearance of purity and stillness. Those who go and those who come are all made pure and still; it does not alter its cleansing nature on account of people coming and going. Therefore it says 'those who come and go find the well always the same.' 'When nearly arrived, if the rope has not yet reached the well, or if one snags and overturns the pitcher — misfortune' — this passage below clarifies the well, admonishing that the well's work is difficult to complete. Qi means 'nearly.' Ji means 'close.' Yu means 'well-rope.' Even though one draws water and brings it to the top of the well, if the rope has not yet cleared the well's mouth and the hook snags and overturns the pitcher — one discards the work that was almost completed. Though there was the labor of drawing from the well, it is no different from never having drawn at all. This is an analogy: when people practice constant virtue, they must bring good beginnings to a good end. If there is a beginning but no end, then misfortune and blame will surely follow. Therefore it says 'when nearly arrived, if the rope has not yet reached the well, or if one snags and overturns the pitcher — misfortune.' The word 'also' (yi) is a word expressing uncertainty, saying that there are not necessarily such cases of failing to reach completion. Considered merely as spilling one pitcher of water, how could that be worth calling misfortune? It is used as an analogy for a person whose cultivation of virtue does not reach completion. It further says this merely takes up the analogy of a person whose virtuous conduct lacks constancy and who cannot be as careful at the end as at the beginning — therefore with respect to people it speaks of misfortune.

Water over wood—wood sucks water upward. Organize human society so that, like a plant organism, its parts cooperate for the benefit of the whole. Encourage the people at their work; exhort them to help one another.