The 64 Hexagrams / 4
Hexagram 4 · ䷃
Youthful Folly
蒙 · Méng
Upper Mountain 艮Lower Water 坎
The Judgment · 卦辭
亨。匪我求童蒙，童蒙求我。初筮告，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.
The Image · 大象
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.
Plain-English Meaning
A time of not-yet-knowing. Stay open, ask sincere questions, and learn from good teachers.
The Judgment
Inexperience is fine when you seek guidance sincerely; repeated, careless asking gets no answer.
The Image
Like a spring rising at the foot of a mountain, nurture character through steady, thorough effort.
Editorial summary written for this site; not a translation.
The Lines · 爻辭
- 初六 · Line 1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.象曰：利用刑人，以正法也。
- 九二 · Line 2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.象曰：子克家，剛柔接也。
- 六三 · Line 3勿用取女，見金夫，不有躬，无攸利。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.象曰：勿用取女，行不順也。
- 六四 · Line 4困蒙，吝。The fourth SIX, divided, (shows its subject as if) bound in chains of ignorance. There will be occasion for regret.象曰：困蒙之吝，獨遠實也。
- 六五 · Line 5童蒙，吉。The fifth SIX, divided, shows its subject as a simple lad without experience. There will be good fortune.象曰：童蒙之吉，順以巽也。
- 上九 · Line 6擊蒙，不利為寇，利禦寇。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.象曰：利禦寇，上下順也。
English: James Legge (1882), public domain · Text · Image (Appendix II), sacred-texts.com.