Hexagram 4 · 第 4 卦

蒙

Meng · Youthful Folly (Mountain over Water)

山下出泉，物之穉也

上卦upper 艮 ☶ · 山 / Mountain下卦lower 坎 ☵ · 水 / Water
錯卦把每一爻都翻轉（陽↔陰）後得到的另一卦。The inverse-line hexagram: every line flipped.Opposite
第 49 卦 革
綜卦把整個卦上下顛倒後得到的另一卦。The reversed hexagram: flipped top-to-bottom.Inverse
第 3 卦 屯
互卦由原卦二、三、四爻 + 三、四、五爻組成的中間卦。The nuclear hexagram: built from lines 2-3-4 and 3-4-5 of the original.Nuclear
第 24 卦 復

卦辭與彖傳

Judgment and its commentary

先讀經文，再讀《彖傳》如何解釋卦辭。Read the received text first, then its Tuan commentary.

經
卦辭對整個卦（六條線為一組）的總體判斷。The judgment on the hexagram as a whole.
Judgment

蒙：亨。匪我求童蒙，童蒙求我。初筮告，再三瀆，瀆則不告。利貞。

蒙卦——亨通。不是我去求蒙昧的童子（學者），是童子來求我（教者）。第一次卜問就告訴他答案；如果反復追問三次，那就是褻瀆，不再回答。利於守正。

Meng 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 to seek 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 · 1899
傳
彖傳十翼之一，直接解釋卦名、卦辭及其剛柔結構。Tuan Zhuan — commentary explaining the name, Judgment, and line structure.
Commentary on the Judgment

蒙，山下有險，險而止，蒙。蒙亨，以亨行時中也。匪我求童蒙，童蒙求我，志應也。初筮告，以剛中也。再三瀆，瀆則不告，瀆蒙也。蒙以養正，聖功也。

蒙卦：山下有險，遇險而止，所以為蒙。蒙亨，是因為以亨通之道在合宜的時機行中道。「匪我求童蒙，童蒙求我」是因為志向相應。「初筮告」是因為剛健而居中。「再三瀆」之所以不告，是因為褻瀆了蒙昧本身。以蒙養正，是成聖的功夫。

There is a (mysterious and attractive) obscurity in (the idea of) Meng. The trigram of mountain is above, and below is that of water and danger. Encountering peril and arresting one's steps — this is Meng.

James Legge · 1899

大象傳《大象傳》從上下卦的自然圖像推演全卦之象，再提出人事取法。它不是《彖傳》的續文。The Great Image derives conduct from the two trigrams' natural images; it is not a continuation of the Tuan.

Great Image Commentary

上下卦取象 → 全卦成象 → 人事取法Trigrams → whole image → conduct

上下卦Trigrams
☶艮 · 山Upper · Mountain
☵坎 · 水Lower · Water
全卦成象Whole image

山下出泉，蒙

(The trigram representing) a mountain, and beneath it that of a spring issuing forth, form Meng.

人事取法Conduct

君子以果行育德。

The superior man, in accordance with this, strives to be resolute in his conduct, and nourishes his virtue.

山下湧出泉水——蒙之象。泉水雖小但志向已定，必流向大海。君子由此體會：要果決地行動以培育德性。

James Legge · 1899
六爻意象導覽Six-line image guide
由六爻爻辭整理 · 點選可跳至原文 · Editorial guide · select a stage to read the line

本站導讀，不屬《大象傳》原文；用來預覽本卦六爻由初至上的意象變化。An editorial preview of the six line images, not part of the Great Image Commentary.

中性位neutral主爻 · 青灰ruling line過盈之爻 · 朱砂overshot
爻辭針對單獨一條線的判斷，每卦有六條。閱讀次序：初爻 → 上爻。卦象本身則由下而上排列。Line statements — one per line, six per hexagram. Reading order is 初 → 上 (top to bottom on the page). The hexagram itself is drawn bottom-up — see the rail.
Line statements · 初 → 上 · reading order
小象十翼之一。對每一條爻辭的古典短註，列於該爻之下。Xiao Xiang — short commentary on each line. inline beneath each line
初六
Line 1 · 第 1 爻 · yin陰

發蒙，利用刑人，用說桎梏，以往吝。

啟發蒙昧——可用懲戒之法（讓人知道規則）；解開腳鐐手銬（給予自由）；但若一直如此前行，則吝。

The first SIX, divided, (has reference 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.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註，列於該爻之下。Xiao Xiang — short commentary on this line. · Image on the line

利用刑人，以正法也。

用懲戒，是為了端正法度。

九二
Line 2 · 第 2 爻 · yang陽

包蒙吉。納婦吉，子克家。

包容蒙昧者，吉。娶妻吉。兒子能持家——剛中之德能容人、能成事。

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.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註，列於該爻之下。Xiao Xiang — short commentary on this line. · Image on the line

子克家，剛柔接也。

兒子能持家，是因為剛柔相接（九二與六五相應）。

六三
Line 3 · 第 3 爻 · yin陰

勿用取女，見金夫，不有躬，無攸利。

不要娶這樣的女子——她見到富貴男子就失了自己，不能守身——沒有甚麼利益。

The third SIX, divided, (seems to say) Do not marry a woman whose emblem it might be. She will, when she sees a man of wealth, not keep her person from him, and in no wise will advantage come from her.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註，列於該爻之下。Xiao Xiang — short commentary on this line. · Image on the line

勿用取女，行不順也。

不要娶這樣的女子，因為行為不順正道。

六四
Line 4 · 第 4 爻 · yin陰

困蒙，吝。

被蒙昧所困——可惜。陰柔在陰位，又遠離剛健之師，無法啟發。

The fourth SIX, divided, (shows its subject as if) bound in chains of ignorance. There will be occasion for regret.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註，列於該爻之下。Xiao Xiang — short commentary on this line. · Image on the line

困蒙之吝，獨遠實也。

被蒙困之吝，是因為獨自遠離了實在（剛中之師）。

六五
Line 5 · 第 5 爻 · yin陰

童蒙，吉。

童子般的蒙昧，吉。柔順居尊位，能虛心受教，所以吉。

The fifth SIX, divided, (shows its subject as) a simple lad without experience. There will be good fortune.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註，列於該爻之下。Xiao Xiang — short commentary on this line. · Image on the line

童蒙之吉，順以巽也。

童蒙之吉，是因為柔順而謙遜。

上九
Line 6 · 第 6 爻 · yang陽

擊蒙，不利為寇，利禦寇。

擊打蒙昧——不利於主動侵犯（為寇），利於防禦（禦寇）。教育有時要用嚴厲的手段，但不可過度。

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.

小象十翼之一。對爻辭的古典短註，列於該爻之下。Xiao Xiang — short commentary on this line. · Image on the line

利用禦寇，上下順也。

利於防禦敵寇，是因為上下能順應。

蒙méng

Unformed, not yet opened up. Not 'stupid' — 'not yet taught.' The name of the hexagram.

童蒙tóng méng

The child-like unformed one — the learner. Carries no contempt; it names the teachable state.

筮shì

To divine with yarrow stalks; here, to bring a question for consultation.

瀆dú

To profane, treat with careless disrespect. What repeated re-asking does to instruction.

桎梏zhì gù

Fetters and manacles — shackles on feet and hands. In line 1, the constraints to be removed.

穉zhì

Young, immature (same as 稚). The Xu Gua's word for things at their newborn stage.

禦yù

To ward off, defend against. The permitted use of force in line 6.

寇kòu

Bandit, aggressor. Line 6 permits defending against one, not becoming one.