I Ching Hexagram 4 - Inexperience
Description and interpretations of I Ching (Yijing) hexagram 4 "Inexperience"
蒙 - Méng
Sơn Thủy Mông
Inexperience
Upper Trigram: ☶ Gen, Mountain
Lower Trigram: ☵ Kan, Water
Other Titles: Youthful Folly, The Symbol of Covering, Immaturity, Uncultivated Growth, Youth, Acquiring Experience, Youthful Ignorance, Enveloping, Folly, Darkness.
English Translations & Interpretations
The Judgement
Wilhelm/Baynes: Youthful Folly has success. It is not I who seek the young fool; the young fool seeks me. At the first oracle I inform him. If he asks two or three times, it is importunity. If he importunes, I give him no information. Perseverance furthers.
Legge: Inexperience means progress and success. I do not seek the inexperienced youth, but he seeks me. When he shows the sincerity proper for divination, I instruct him. If he asks two or three times, that is troublesome, and I do not instruct the troublesome. Firm correctness brings advantage.
Blofeld: Immaturity. Good fortune! I am not one to seek out uncultivated youths, but if such a youth seeks me out, I shall at first read and explain the omens. Yet should he ask me many times, just because of his importunity, I shall not explain anything more. The omen indicates a need for proper direction.
Liu: It is not I who seek him, the youth seeks me. The first time he asks, I answer; but if he asks again and again, it is annoyance: no answer. Benefit for continuance.
Shaughnessy: Folly: Receipt; it is not we who seek youthful folly; youthful folly seeks us. The initial milfoil divination is auspicious, but if two or three times drawn out, being drawn out then it is not auspicious; beneficial to determine.
Cleary (1): In darkness is development. It is not that I seek naïve innocence; naïve innocence seeks me. The first augury informs; the second and third defile. Defilement does not inform. It is beneficial to be correct.
Cleary (2): Darkness. Getting through. It is not that I seek the ignorant; the ignorant seek me. The first pick informs, the second and third muddle. That which is muddled does not inform. Benefit is a matter of correctness.
Wu: Ignorance is pervasive. It is not that I ask the ignorant lad to come for instruction. It is that the ignorant lad comes to request my instruction. As in divination, he will be instructed the first time. If he asks the same question for the second and third times, he is disrespectful. Having been judged disrespectful, he will not be instructed again. It will be advantageous to be persevering.
The Image
Wilhelm/Baynes: A spring wells up at the foot of the mountain: the image of Youth. Thus the superior man fosters his character by thoroughness in all that he does.
Legge: A spring issuing from the mountain -- the image of Inexperience. The superior man, in accordance with this, nourishes his virtue and strives for resoluteness of conduct.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes a watery hole at the foot of a mountain amidst uncultivated growth. The Superior Man by determined good conduct nourishes his virtue. [The second sentence is deduced from the first; both are suggested by the component trigrams.]
Liu: A spring comes out at the foot of the mountain; this symbolizes Youth. The superior man will cultivate his character through decisive action.
Cleary (1): Under a mountain a spring is produced, in darkness. A superior person nurtures character with fruitful action.
Cleary (2): Under a mountain emerges a spring, in darkness. Leaders use effective action to nurture inner qualities.
Wu: A spring flows at the foot of a mountain; this is Ignorance. The jun zi resolves to taking steps to cultivate his virtue.
Line 1
初 六: 發 蒙, 利 用 刑 人, 用 說 桎 梏, 以 往 吝．
Wilhelm/Baynes: To make a fool develop it furthers to apply discipline. The fetters should be removed. To go on in this way brings humiliation.
Legge: The first line, magnetic, 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.
Blofeld: To enlighten immature youth, it is advisable to apply discipline; even fetters may be required, but to use them overmuch is harmful.
Liu: To enlighten youth, it is better to use discipline. Obstacles in the mind should be removed. Otherwise, humiliation.
Shaughnessy: Discarding folly; beneficial to use a punished man, and herewith to remove shackles and manacles. What has already gone is stressful.
Cleary (1): Opening up darkness, it is advantageous to use punishments. If restrictions are removed, it will lead to regret.
Cleary (2): To awaken the ignorant, it is beneficial to use punishments; if restrictions are eased, it will be regrettable to go that way.
Wu: This shows how to instruct the ignorant. It will be advantageous to use punishment, but let go manacles or shackles, for they will bring humiliation.
Line 2
九 二: 包 蒙 吉． 納 婦 吉． 子 克 家．
Wilhelm/Baynes: To bear with fools in kindliness brings good fortune. To know how to take women brings good fortune. The son is capable of taking charge of the household.
Legge: The second line, dynamic, 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.
Blofeld: Being gentle with the immature brings good fortune. Taking a wife brings good fortune. Sons will be capable of taking over the household affairs when the strong (young) and the weak (old) are in mutual harmony.
Liu: To treat youth generously brings good fortune. Arranging a marriage brings good fortune. The son can take over the household.
Shaughnessy: Wrapping folly; auspicious. Sending in the wife; auspicious. The son can marry.
Cleary (1): Taking in darkness is good, taking a wife is good; the heir ably takes over the family affairs.
Cleary (2): It bodes well to embrace the ignorant. It bodes well to take a wife. The child becomes head of the family.
Wu: Accommodating the ignorant is auspicious. It is also auspicious to take a wife. A son will bring prosperity to the family.
Line 3
六 三: 勿 用 取 女 見 金 夫 ．
不 有 躬, 无 攸 利．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Take not a maiden who, when she sees a man of bronze, loses possession of herself. Nothing furthers.
Legge: The third line, magnetic, shows that one should not marry a woman who, when she sees a man of wealth, will not keep herself from him. In no way will advantage come from her.
Blofeld: Do not choose a wife who, on seeing a wealthy man, cannot contain herself. Nothing brings advantage.
Liu: Do not choose a girl who, when she sees a rich man, loses her control. No benefit.
Shaughnessy: Do not use to take a woman; see the metal fellow who does not have a torso; there is no place beneficial.
Cleary (1): Don’t take this woman in marriage; if she sees a moneyed man, she’ll lose herself. Nowhere beneficial.
Cleary (2): Do not take a girl to see a moneyed man, or she will lose herself, to no one’s benefit.
Wu: Marry the woman not. When she sees a wealthy man, she cannot keep her composure. Nothing good will come out of the marriage.
Line 4
六 四 : 困, 蒙, 吝.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Entangled youthful folly brings humiliation.
Legge: The fourth line, magnetic, shows its subject as if bound in chains of ignorance. There will be occasion for regret.
Blofeld: Obstinacy and immaturity cause harm. (This line may also be taken as a warning against a too idealistic or visionary attitude.)
Liu: The youth beset by confusion. Humiliation.
Shaughnessy: Bound folly; distress.
Cleary (1): Stuck in darkness, there is regret.
Cleary (2): Stuck in darkness, regretful.
Wu: Being besieged by ignorance is a cause for regret.
Line 5
六 五: 童 蒙 吉 ．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Childlike folly brings good fortune.
Legge: The fifth line, magnetic, shows its subject as a simple lass without experience. There will be good fortune.
Blofeld: Youthful innocence brings good fortune.
Liu: The youth submits. Good fortune. (If you receive this line, you can expect to attain your goals easily.)
Shaughnessy: Youthful folly; auspicious.
Cleary (1): Innocence is auspicious.
Cleary (2): Innocent ignorance has a good outlook.
Wu: Being an ignorant lad will be auspicious.
Line 6
上 九: 擊 蒙 不 利 為 寇 , 利 禦 寇.
Wilhelm/Baynes: In punishing folly it does not further one to commit transgressions. The only thing that furthers is to prevent transgressions.
Legge: The sixth line, dynamic, shows one smiting the ignorant youth. But no advantage will come from doing him an injury. Advantage would come from warding off injury from him.
Blofeld: In dealing with youthful immaturity, there is nothing to be gained from doing what is wrong. Advantage lies in preventing wrong. (In other words, we must be very careful to avoid putting ourselves in the wrong by being unjust or too severe in correcting the faults of our juniors.)
Liu: To punish youth, it does no good to commit a violation. The idea is to prevent a violation.
Shaughnessy: Hitting the folly; not beneficial to be a robber, beneficial to have that which robs.
Cleary (1): Attacking darkness, what is not helpful is inimical, what is helpful prevents enmity.
Cleary (2): Attack ignorance. It is not beneficial to be a robber; it is beneficial to ward off robbers.
Wu: There is an indication of striking the ignorant. It will not be advantageous to be offensive. It will be advantageous to be defensive.
Notes
For an in-depth glossary of I Ching, click here.
Hexagram 4 has two meanings. The first one indicates that you have asked the same question too many times to deserve any further answers. You are not sincere in asking and the oracle can only answer correctly the first time only.
The second meaning depicts a situation where one is like a young, inexperienced person who is unaware of potential pitfalls. It suggests that you have much to learn if you want success. It is time to accumulate experience. Be wary of being overly ambitious and be more realistic. Seeking instruction like a curious child will bring you good fortune.
