Youthful Folly
Mountain (艮 Gèn) above, Water (坎 Kǎn) below
Published July 22, 2026 · By Oriens
I Ching Hexagram 4, 蒙 (Méng), represents Youthful Folly.
SourceZhouyi (周易, The Book of Changes) — hexagram 4 (蒙 Méng). Chinese source: Chinese Text Project, based on 《武英殿十三經注疏》本《周易正義》 (ctp:book-of-changes/meng). Judgment: received Zhouyi hexagram statement (卦辭). English: Translation by Oriens Editorial Translation. Image: Xiang / Image commentary layer (象傳), distinct from the Judgment and line texts. Image and line English: named translation by James Legge, The Yî King (1899), public-domain translation; online reproduction. The named translation is used for the Image and line statements only.
1. Judgment (卦辭 Guàcí)
蒙：亨。匪我求童蒙，童蒙求我。初筮告，再三瀆，瀆則不告。利貞。
Oriens Editorial Translation: Success. I do not seek the young and unlearned; they seek me. At the first divination I answer; a second and third are irreverent. If treated irreverently, I do not answer. Steadfastness is favorable.
2. Image (象 Xiàng / Xiang commentary)
山下出泉,蒙。君子以果行育德。
James Legge: (The trigram representing) a mountain, and beneath it that for a spring issuing forth form Mang. The superior man, in accordance with this, strives to be resolute in his conduct and nourishes his virtue.
3. Line Statements (爻辭 Yáocí)
Line 1 of 6 (from the bottom):
初六：發蒙，利用刑人，用說桎梏，以往吝。
James Legge: 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.
Line 2 of 6 (from the bottom):
九二：包蒙吉；納婦吉；子克家。
James Legge: 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.
Line 3 of 6 (from the bottom):
六三：勿用取女；見金夫，不有躬，无攸利。
James Legge: 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.
Line 4 of 6 (from the bottom):
六四：困蒙，吝。
James Legge: The fourth SIX, divided, (shows its subject as if) bound in chains of ignorance. There will be occasion for regret.
Line 5 of 6 (from the bottom):
六五：童蒙，吉。
James Legge: The fifth SIX, divided, shows its subject as a simple lad without experience. There will be good fortune.
Line 6 of 6 (from the bottom):
上九：擊蒙；不利為寇，利禦寇。
James Legge: 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.
For the general method for changing lines and relating hexagrams, see How to Read the I Ching.
4. Modern Interpretation (Oriens commentary)
This is an Oriens interpretation, not part of the Zhouyi text.
Youthful Folly can prompt a careful question about learning: what is genuinely not yet understood, which questions are worth asking well, and what happens when guidance is sought casually or refused. The text's emphasis that the student must come toward the teacher reads as a statement about how teaching relationships work in the figure.
The Chinese source and translation provenance are identified above. The Judgment is an Oriens Editorial Translation; the Image and line statements are labeled with James Legge. This keeps the modern reflection separate from both the received text and the named translation.
This reflection predicts nothing and gives no educational, medical, legal, financial, employment, relationship, or parenting advice.
Continue with the Hexagram 4 card and the I Ching guide; these are reading paths, not additional predictions.