I Ching hexagram · 4 of 64
Hexagram 4: Youthful Folly 蒙 Méng · Learning, guidance, discovery
Inexperience. Find a good teacher and learn with sincerity rather than pride. Success. I do not seek the young fool; the young fool seeks me. At the first asking I answer, but asking again and again is disrespectful, and then I give no answer. Perseverance brings benefit.
- Upper: ☶ Mountain
- Lower: ☵ Water
- Nuclear: 24
- Opposite: 49
Number
4 of 64
Chinese name
蒙 Méng
Upper trigram
☶ Mountain
Lower trigram
☵ Water
Nuclear hexagram
䷗ 24. Return
Opposite hexagram
䷰ 49. Revolution
What hexagram 4 means
Hexagram 4 shows a spring rising at the foot of a mountain: fresh, inexperienced and not yet sure of its path. It is about learning and teaching, and about the right relationship between student and teacher.
Inexperience is no fault as long as you are willing to learn. Ask sincerely, listen to good guidance and don't keep asking the same question in the hope of a different answer.
The Judgement · 卦辞
蒙：亨。匪我求童蒙，童蒙求我。初筮告，再三渎，渎则不告。利贞。
Success. I do not seek the young fool; the young fool seeks me. At the first asking I answer, but asking again and again is disrespectful, and then I give no answer. Perseverance brings benefit.
The Image · 象曰
山下出泉，蒙；君子以果行育德。
A spring wells up at the foot of the mountain: the image of youth. The noble person acts decisively and nurtures character.
The lines and trigrams
Youthful Folly places ☶ Mountain (艮 Gèn), the trigram of stillness and restraint, above ☵ Water (坎 Kǎn), the trigram of danger and depth. The lower trigram describes the inner situation and the upper trigram the outer world.
A hexagram is read from the bottom line up. Lines 1 to 3 form the lower trigram and lines 4 to 6 the upper trigram. Solid lines are yang and broken lines are yin; in the traditional names a yang line is called Nine (九) and a yin line Six (六).
Hexagram 4 in your life
Love and relationships
There may be naivety or unrealistic expectations. Get to know each other honestly, listen to people who care about you and avoid rushing into big decisions.
Personal growth
Approach life as a student. Curiosity, humility and discipline turn inexperience into wisdom.
The six changing lines
If you cast hexagram 4 and some lines come out as changing lines, read the text for those lines, then turn each one into its opposite to find the hexagram your situation is moving towards. See how to consult the I Ching.
Line 1 初六 · Six at the beginning
Teaching the young fool: some discipline helps, but rigid punishment does harm. Set clear limits without being harsh.
Line 2 九二 · Nine in the second place
Bearing with fools kindly brings good fortune. Patience and tolerance let you guide others and take on responsibility.
Line 3 六三 · Six in the third place
Don't pursue someone who loses themselves the moment they see wealth. Avoid people or deals that throw away self-respect.
Line 4 六四 · Six in the fourth place
Entangled in folly: humiliation. Clinging to fantasies cuts you off from real help; let reality teach you.
Line 5 六五 · Six in the fifth place
Childlike folly brings good fortune. An open, humble attitude makes you easy to teach and to help.
Line 6 上九 · Nine at the top
Punishing folly. Do not act like a bandit: correct mistakes only to prevent harm, never out of anger.
Hexagram 4 questions, answered
What does I Ching hexagram 4 mean?
Hexagram 4, Youthful Folly (蒙 Méng), is about learning, guidance, discovery. Inexperience. Find a good teacher and learn with sincerity rather than pride. Hexagram 4 shows a spring rising at the foot of a mountain: fresh, inexperienced and not yet sure of its path. It is about learning and teaching, and about the right relationship between student and teacher.
What does hexagram 4 mean in love?
There may be naivety or unrealistic expectations. Get to know each other honestly, listen to people who care about you and avoid rushing into big decisions.
What does hexagram 4 mean for work and money?
A time to study, train or take advice from someone more experienced. Admit what you don't know; a good mentor will help more than guesswork.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 4?
Hexagram 4 has Mountain (Gèn) as its upper trigram and Water (Kǎn) as its lower trigram.
What are the related hexagrams of hexagram 4?
Its nuclear hexagram is 24, Return. Its opposite, with every line changed, is 49, Revolution. Turned upside down it becomes 3, Difficulty at the Beginning.
All 64 hexagrams
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