I Ching hexagram 4

I Ching hexagram 4: Youthful Folly

蒙 méng · a mountain above water

A spring at the foot of a mountain, a student at the teacher's door: ask sincerely once, then listen.

The judgment: Success. I do not seek the young fool; the young fool seeks me. The first asking, I answer. Asking twice or three times is disrespect, and I won't answer. Steadiness pays.
"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."
James Legge's translation, 1882
What it says to you: A spring rises at the foot of a mountain, fresh water that doesn't yet know where it's going. That is the young fool, and the judgment speaks in the teacher's voice: I don't chase you; you come to me. Ask once, sincerely, and you get an answer. Ask the same thing again and again and you get nothing, because repetition shows you weren't really listening. That applies to this reading too. If you have just tossed coins on the same question three times hoping for a better result, consider this the oracle's mild rebuke. Inexperience is no flaw here; the fifth line calls the simple learner fortunate. The fault is refusing to learn. Find the person who knows, ask your real question once, and take the answer seriously.

Matter by matter

Love: Inexperience on one or both sides. Learn honestly, and be wary of anyone dazzled by money.
Work: A learning phase. Find a mentor, ask good questions once, and accept correction without sulking.
Money: Learn before you act. Avoid chasing quick wealth; discipline now prevents costly mistakes.
A yes or no question: Wait. Ask someone who knows, once, and follow their answer instead of asking again.

The six lines of Youthful Folly

A hexagram is built from the bottom up, so the first line is the lowest. You read a line's text only when your cast made it a moving line.

Bottom line, broken

Lifting folly. It helps to use discipline and to remove the shackles. Going on that way brings regret.

Some firm correction is useful now, to break a bad habit or a blind spot. Discipline is a tool; use it to free yourself, then ease off before it becomes the whole method.
Second line, solid

Bearing with fools: good fortune. Taking a wife: good fortune. The son can run the household.

You are in a position to guide others. Be patient with their ignorance and generous in what you take in. You're ready to carry responsibility for the whole household.
Third line, broken

Do not take this woman. She sees a man of gold and loses herself. Nothing favorable.

Someone or something is drawn to shine over substance. Don't commit to it. A bond that dissolves at the sight of money will give you nothing.
Fourth line, broken

Folly hemmed in. Regret.

You are stuck in your own ignorance, far from anyone who could help. The fix is plain: go find a teacher or a better source. Staying isolated keeps you stuck.
Fifth line, broken

Childlike folly. Good fortune.

Your openness is your strength. Approach the matter like a beginner, willing to be taught, and it goes well. Not knowing is fine when you're honest about it.
Top line, solid

Striking at folly. It does not pay to act as a raider; it pays to guard against raiders.

You may be tempted to come down hard on someone's mistakes. Harsh punishment helps no one. Protect them, or yourself, from real harm instead of inflicting it.

About hexagram 4

What does I Ching hexagram 4 mean?

Hexagram 4, Youthful Folly, puts a mountain above water. A spring at the foot of a mountain, a student at the teacher's door: ask sincerely once, then listen. Its judgment reads: Success. I do not seek the young fool; the young fool seeks me. The first asking, I answer. Asking twice or three times is disrespect, and I won't answer. Steadiness pays.

Is hexagram 4 a yes or a no?

Wait. Ask someone who knows, once, and follow their answer instead of asking again.

What does hexagram 4 mean for love?

Inexperience on one or both sides. Learn honestly, and be wary of anyone dazzled by money.

What does hexagram 4 mean for work?

A learning phase. Find a mentor, ask good questions once, and accept correction without sulking.

Cast the coins for a new question , or for a straight yes or no, throw the moon blocks

The I Ching reads a moment. For the years of your own life, cast your birth chart; on your chart page you can ask three questions of your own, answered against it, for $2.99.

The judgment and lines are rendered from the Chinese text; the quoted judgment is Legge's 1882 translation, and every other English line is Jade Almanac's own. A cast is a prompt for reflection, not advice about health, money or the law.