Hexagram 4 of 64 · King Wen order
蒙Youthful Folly
Méng · ䷃ · above: Mountain ☶ 艮 Gèn · below: Water ☵ 坎 Kǎn
This hexagram deals with the process of education and the correct attitude of both the student and the teacher.A one-line gloss written for this site (AI-assisted). Everything below it is the classical text.
The Judgment 卦辭
亨。匪我求童蒙，童蒙求我。初噬告，再三瀆，瀆則不告。利貞。
Măng (indicates that in the case which it presupposes) there will be progress and success. I do not (go and) seek the youthful and inexperienced, but he comes and seeks me. When he shows (the sincerity that marks) the first recourse to divination, I instruct him. If he apply a second and third time, that is troublesome; and I do not instruct the troublesome. There will be advantage in being firm and correct.
James Legge, The Yî King (1882), the Text. Words in (parentheses) are Legge's own additions.
Commentary on the Judgment 彖傳 (Tuan, the first Wing)
1. In Mang we have (the trigram for) a mountain, and below it that of a rugged defile with a stream in it. The conditions of peril and arrest of progress (suggested by these) give (the idea in) Mang.
2. 'Mang indicates that there will be progress and success:'—for there is development at work in it, and its time of action is exactly what is right. 'I do not seek the youthful and inexperienced; he seeks me:'—so does will respond to will. 'When he shows (the sincerity that marks) the first recourse to divination, I instruct him:'—for possessing the qualities of the undivided line and being in the central place, (the subject of the second line thus speaks). 'A second and third application create annoyance, and I do not instruct so as to create annoyance:'—annoyance (he means) to the ignorant.
(The method of dealing with) the young and ignorant is to nourish the correct (nature belonging to them);—this accomplishes the service of the sage.
The Image 象
山下出泉，蒙；君子以果行育德。
(The trigram representing) a mountain, and beneath it that for a spring issuing forth form Măng. The superior man, in accordance with this, strives to be resolute in his conduct and nourishes his virtue.
Legge's Great Image (Appendix II). The Chinese above also carries the Small Images of the six lines.
The six lines 爻辭
Read from the bottom (line 1) to the top (line 6). Each line: the Chinese, Legge's translation, and the Small Image commentary on it.
Line 1 初六
The first line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
發蒙，利用刑人，用說桎梏，以往吝。
The first SIX, divided, (has respect to) the dispelling of ignorance. It will be advantageous to use punishment (for that purpose), and to remove the shackles (from the mind). But going on in that way (of punishment) will give occasion for regret.
Small Image: 'It will be advantageous to use punishment:'—the object being to bring under the influence of correcting law.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 41, Decrease.
Line 2 九二
The second line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
包蒙，吉；納婦，吉；子克家。
The second NINE, undivided, (shows its subject) exercising forbearance with the ignorant, in which there will be good fortune; and admitting (even the goodness of women, which will also be fortunate). (He may be described also as) a son able to (sustain the burden of) his family.
Small Image: 'A son able to (sustain the burden of) his family:'—as appears from the reciprocation between this strong line and the weak (fifth line).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 23, Splitting Apart.
Line 3 六三
The third line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
勿用娶女；見金夫，不有躬，無攸利。
The third SIX, divided, (seems to say) that one should not marry a woman whose emblem it might be, for that, when she sees a man of wealth, she will not keep her person from him, and in no wise will advantage come from her.
Small Image: 'A woman (such as is here represented) should not be taken in marriage:'—her conduct is not agreeable to what is right.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 18, Work on what has been spoiled.
Line 4 六四
The fourth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
困蒙，吝。
The fourth SIX, divided, (shows its subject as if) bound in chains of ignorance. There will be occasion for regret.
Small Image: 'The regret arising from ignorance bound in chains' is due to the special distance of (the subject of this line) from the solidity (shown in lines 2 and 6).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 64, Before Completion.
Line 5 六五
The fifth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
童蒙，吉。
The fifth SIX, divided, shows its subject as a simple lad without experience. There will be good fortune.
Small Image: 'The good fortune belonging to the simple lad without experience' comes from his docility going on to humility.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 59, Dispersion.
Line 6 上九
The sixth line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
擊蒙；不利為寇，利御寇。
In the topmost NINE, undivided, we see one smiting the ignorant (youth). But no advantage will come from doing him an injury. Advantage would come from warding off injury from him.
Small Image: 'Advantage will come from warding off injury:'—(the subject of this line) above and (the ignorant) below, all do and are done to in accordance with their nature.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 7, The Army.
Related hexagrams
lines 2-4 below, 3-5 aboveOpposite 錯卦49. Revolution 革
every line changedInverse 綜卦3. Difficulty at the Beginning 屯
turned upside down
A hexagram is a mirror, not a command: read it to reflect, never to obey. Sources: James Legge (tr.), The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI (Oxford, 1882; 2nd ed. 1899), public domain; the Chinese text from Project Gutenberg ebook #25501 (易經), public domain. The trigram facts and the related hexagrams are computed from the line pattern. The gloss, selection and arrangement are CC-BY-SA-4.0 (PlayfulProcess). Data: github.com/PlayfulProcess/recursive-iching.