井 → 蹇
Hexagram 48: The Well → Hexagram 39: Obstruction
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 1 changing line (line 2).
Line 2
九二 井谷射鮒。甕敝漏。
Nine in the second place means: At the wellhole one shoots fishes. The jug is broken and leaks.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
王子公孫，把絃攝丸。發輒有獲，家室饒足。
Princes and noble sons, gripping bowstrings and shooting pellets. Every shot finds its mark; hearth and home are rich and full.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Water drawn up through wood, the well rewards those who draw from it skillfully. Young princes and noble sons take up bow-strings and pellets, and with every shot they hit their mark. The household overflows with plenty. The image is of aristocratic hunting — slingshot and bow used with casual mastery, game reliably taken. It suggests a household blessed with talented heirs whose skills translate directly into sustenance. From The Well to Obstruction, water pools upon the mountain, and the wise person turns inward to cultivate virtue. The well's reliable bounty meets Jian's blockage: even when external paths are obstructed, the skills cultivated within — like the young hunter's practiced aim — provide for the household regardless.
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