坎 → 井
Hexagram 29: The Abysmal Water → Hexagram 48: The Well
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 1 changing line (line 3).
Line 3
六三 來之坎坎。險且枕。入于坎窞。勿用。
Six in the third place means: Forward and backward, abyss on abyss. In danger like this, pause at first and wait, Otherwise you will fall into a pit in the abyss. Do not act this way.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
冠帶南遊，與福喜期，徼于嘉國，拜為逢時。
In cap and sash, traveling south; he has a rendezvous with joy and fortune. Reaching a fair kingdom, he is received -- bowing, for the time has come.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Water upon water, yet the scholar travels south in full regalia. Wearing cap and sash, he journeys toward fortune and joy, arriving in a blessed land where he receives an official appointment — his timing is perfect. The verse is an auspicious career oracle: proper attire signals readiness, southward travel brings opportunity, and the appointment comes at exactly the right moment. From The Abysmal to The Well, water rises through wood — the deep source drawn up to nourish all who come. The scholar dressed for office embodies the well's function: deep learning brought to the surface through proper channels. The well does not move to the village; the village comes to the well, and the worthy man is found when the time is right.
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