#48 井 The Well – Care & Sharing of Valuable Assets

 

#48 井 The Well – Care & Sharing of Valuable Assets

井      水风井         坎上巽下

This hexagram has a Water trigram on top of the Wind trigram. The water trigram also represents a depression or a pit. The Wind trigram also represents Woods or Ropes. Using a wooden pail and rope to draw water up from a pit represents the Well.

Description:

1. 改邑不改井: The town can be relocated but the well cannot be.
2. 无丧无得: When there is no sacrifice(decrease) there is no gain(increase)
3. 往来井井。People come and go to draw water from the well
4. 汔至，亦未繘井,羸其瓶: Getting close, but not having the rope tied properly, it got entangled with the pail. (either all jammed up or the pail got loose and fell back into the well. The consequence is bad).
5. 凶。 It is a disaster.

Textual Commentary:

彖曰：巽乎水而上水，井；井养而不穷也。改邑不改井，无丧无得，往来井井。汔至，亦未繘井 羸其瓶，是以凶也。

Using a wood (Wind trigram) to contain water and bring up the water represents the Well. The Well feeds without running out of water. The town can be relocated but not the well. No pain (decrease) no gain. Come and go to draw water from the well. Almost got the pail out, but the entanglement of the ropes resulted in the loss of the pail and water. That is why it is a disaster.

Pictorial Commentary: 象曰：木上有水，井；君子以劳民劝相

There is water on top of the wood. It means ‘The Well’. Wise men teach the people to help each other.

Moral Teachings:

1. The source of supply or the production of value cannot be relocated or changed.  We extend it to mean the mission, the value proposition, of a corporation cannot be changed. Otherwise, it is a different corporation. The methods to deliver the value proposition can change.
2. Give first to receive gains later. This is the basic principle of doing business. Invest first in the production, materials, and people and then get back from the sale of goods and services.
3. Providing true value to will draw many customers.
4. Planning well and executing to completion will prevent loss at the last moment or critical moments. The entanglements of the ropes could be the result of people not rolling back the ropes well after use resulting in subsequent accidents. This is very similar to the need to use some water first to prime the pump. The last person leaving the well must always leave a bucket of water behind for the subsequent user to prime the pump and draw up the water.
5. Cooperation is a key to success. Take care of the needs of future users and future generations.

Stage 1 Begin Six: Don’t eat the mud of the well. The Old abandoned well has no animals around. 初六：井泥不食，旧井无禽。
The pictorial commentary explains that no one eats the mud because it is at the bottom. No animals gathered around the old well because time had passed.  象曰：井泥不食，下也。 旧井无禽，时舍也。

We want to drink the water on top of the mud. When we do not provide value, no one will come.

Stage 2 Second Nine: Shooting at the carp fish from the opening of the well. The earthen jug is broken and leaking. 九二：井谷射鲋，瓮敝漏。
The pictorial commentary explains that shooting fish from the open of the well because there is nothing to give. 象曰：井谷射鲋，无与也。

The purpose of the well is to provide water. But somehow it is not. Maybe the jug to draw water is broken and no one repairs it. Hence, the last remaining useful thing is to shoot at the fish below. We must work on our core competencies and contribute rightly. Doing other things does not bring any benefits. Secondly, when there is a defect, we face up to it and fix it and not let the defect cause us to change our direction and do other things.

Stage 3 Third Nine: The well is cleaned but no one drinks its water. I am sad for the people. It can be drawn like a well.  When the King is bright and understanding, all can benefit from the blessings. 九三：井渫不食，为我民恻，可用汲，王明，并受其福。
The pictorial commentary explains that the clean water that one want causes sorrow. Asking for a wise King is for the blessings that come from it. 象曰：井渫不食，行恻也。 求王明，受福也。

Here we see someone who is capable but no one will hire him or put him to good use to contribute to society. The leadership may be unwise and does not know how to hire and use the talents. If this has been done, all will enjoy a good fortune.

Stage 4 Forth Six: The Well is lined with bricks. There is no fault. 六四：井甃，无咎。
The pictorial commentary explains the Well is repaired and there is no fault. 象曰：井甃无咎，修井也。

There is a need to maintain and improve the production system of value. Be it the physical resources or the people resources.

Stage 5 Fifth Nine: The well is cleaned. There is a flow of cool drinking water. 九五：井冽，寒泉食。
The pictorial commentary explains that the water is drinkable due to the right and central positioning. 象曰：寒泉之食，中正也。

Getting the production system cleaned up, putting the right things in the right places, and running with moral principles at the center will result in producing valuable drinking water.

Stage 6 Top Six: Provide the equipment for drawing water from the well. The well is not covered.  There is integrity and trust. It is a great fortune. 上六：井收勿幕，有孚元吉。
The pictorial commentary says that the great fortune is at the top. It is a big accomplishment. 象曰：元吉在上，大成也。

Provision of goodness without restriction and covered-up is a great fortune for all. That is possible only with integrity and trust. The greater the wealth, the greater the transparency needed to create the trust to keep the flow going.

Summary:

We must deliver value. We must protect and care for our source of supply and our value-producing system. Invest first to gain later. Plan and execute well to completion. Be considerate of the use and benefits of others. Cooperation brings greater success for all.

Wisdom from the Stage Lines:

1. Dried Well. Must provide real Value.
2. Broken Well (equipment). Build on your strength and Fix the defects.
3. Unused Well. Be wise – hire and use talents well.
4. Strengthened Well. The system producing the value must be maintained and enhanced.
5. Cleansed Well. Reorganized the system with the right placement of resources and running with principles to produce valuable offerings customers seek.
6. Uncovered Well. Be trustworthy, transparent, and generous. Great wealth is generated and shared.

Lim Liat (c) 10/6/2010