Wuwei Foundation

Yi Jing

Mêng - Youthful Folly

above     Kên    Keeping Still, Mountain
below     K'an   The Abysmal, Water

     The Judgement

          Youthful Folly has success.
          It is not I who seek the young fool;
          The young fool seeks me.
          At the first oracle I inform him.
          If he asks two or three times, it is importunity.
          If he importunes, I give him no information.
          Perseverance furthers.

     The Image

          A spring wells up at the foot of the mountain:
          The image of Youth.
          Thus the superior man fosters his character
          By thoroughness in all that he does.

     The Lines

          Six at the beginning means:
          To make a fool develop
          It furthers one to apply discipline.
          The fetters should be removed.
          To go on in this way brings humiliation.

          Nine in the second place means:
          To bear with fools in kindliness brings good fortune.
          To know how to take women
          Brings good fortune.
          The son is capable of taking charge of the household.

          Six in the third place means:
          Take not a maiden who, when she sees a man of bronze,
          Loses possession of herself.
          Nothing furthers.

          Six in the fourth place means:
          Entangled folly brings humiliation.

          Six in the fifth place means:
          Childlike folly brings good fortune.

          Nine at the top means:
          In punishing folly
          It does not further one
          To commit transgressions.
          The only thing that furthers
          Is to prevent transgressions.