Youthful Folly (蒙, Méng) is hexagram 4 of the 64 hexagrams of the I
Ching, in the traditional King Wen order. It is made of Mountain (☶)
above Water (☵).
Meaning of hexagram 4
You are a beginner, or you are guiding one. Real learning starts with
humility and sincere questions.
Advice
Ask honestly, listen well, and do not ask the same question twice in the
hope of a different answer.
The two trigrams
Youthful Folly places ☶ Mountain (Gèn), still, steady and restrained,
above ☵ Water (Kǎn), deep, flowing and dangerous. The lower trigram is
the inner side of the situation and the upper one its outer side.
Hexagram
4. Youthful Folly
Chinese name
蒙 Méng
Upper trigram
☶ Mountain (Gèn)
Lower trigram
☵ Water (Kǎn)
Lines
2 yang (solid) and 4 yin (broken)
Place in the sequence
4 of 64 (King Wen order)
The six lines of Youthful Folly
A hexagram is read from the bottom line up. In a reading, a changing
line (a 6 or a 9 in the three-coin method) draws attention to its
position.
First line(yin, broken): the beginning. The root
of the matter: early stirrings, foundations, and what has not yet
shown itself.
Second line(yang, solid): the inner circle. Your
immediate surroundings and steady supports: how things work at close
range.
Third line(yin, broken): the threshold. A point
of tension between inner and outer, often a test or a restless push
forward.
Fourth line(yin, broken): the approach. Stepping
into wider circles or nearer to authority; caution and good
relationships matter here.
Fifth line(yin, broken): the center of power. The
place of influence and clear leadership: where the situation is most
fully expressed.
Sixth line(yang, solid): the culmination. The far
edge of the situation: completion, overreach, or letting go.