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《䷃蒙 - Meng》 | English translation: James Legge [?] | Books referencing 《䷃蒙》 Library Resources |
1 | ䷃蒙: | 蒙:亨。匪我求童蒙,童蒙求我。初筮告,再三瀆,瀆則不告。利貞。 |
Meng: | 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 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. | |
彖傳: | 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。初噬告,以剛中也。再三瀆,瀆則不告,瀆蒙也。蒙以養正,聖功也。 | |
Tuan Zhuan: | In Meng we have (the trigram for) a mountain, and below it that of a rugged defile with a stream in it. The conditions of peril and arrest of progress (suggested by these) give (the idea in) Meng. 'Meng indicates that there will be progress and success:' - for there is development at work in it, and its time of action is exactly what is right. 'I do not seek the youthful and inexperienced; he seeks me:' - so does will respond to will. 'When he shows (the sincerity that marks) the first recourse to divination, I instruct him:' - for possessing the qualities of the undivided line and being in the central place, (the subject of the second line thus speaks). 'A second and third application create annoyance, and I do not instruct so as to create annoyance:' - annoyance (he means) to the ignorant. (The method of dealing with) the young and ignorant is to nourish the correct (nature belonging to them); - this accomplishes the service of the sage. | |
象傳: | 山下出泉,蒙;君子以果行育德。 | |
Xiang Zhuan: | (The trigram representing) a mountain, and beneath it that for a spring issuing forth form Meng. The superior man, in accordance with this, strives to be resolute in his conduct and nourishes his virtue. | |
2 | ䷃蒙: | 初六:發蒙,利用刑人,用說桎梏,以往吝。 |
Meng: | 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. | |
象傳: | 利用刑人,以正法也。 | |
Xiang Zhuan: | 'It will be advantageous to use punishment:' - the object being to bring under the influence of correcting law. | |
3 | ䷃蒙: | 九二:包蒙吉;納婦吉;子克家。 |
Meng: | 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. | |
象傳: | 子克家,剛柔接也。 | |
Xiang Zhuan: | 'A son able to (sustain the burden of) his family:' - as appears from the reciprocation between this strong line and the weak (fifth line). | |
4 | ䷃蒙: | 六三:勿用取女;見金夫,不有躬,无攸利。 |
Meng: | 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. | |
象傳: | 勿用取女,行不順也。 | |
Xiang Zhuan: | 'A woman (such as is here represented) should not be taken in marriage:' - her conduct is not agreeable to what is right. | |
5 | ䷃蒙: | 六四:困蒙,吝。 |
Meng: | The fourth SIX, divided, (shows its subject as if) bound in chains of ignorance. There will be occasion for regret. | |
象傳: | 困蒙之吝,獨遠實也。 | |
Xiang Zhuan: | 'The regret arising from ignorance bound in chains' is due to the special distance of (the subject of this line) from the solidity (shown in lines 2 and 6). | |
6 | ䷃蒙: | 六五:童蒙,吉。 |
Meng: | The fifth SIX, divided, shows its subject as a simple lad without experience. There will be good fortune. | |
象傳: | 童蒙之吉,順以巽也。 | |
Xiang Zhuan: | 'The good fortune belonging to the simple lad without experience' comes from his docility going on to humility. | |
7 | ䷃蒙: | 上九:擊蒙;不利為寇,利禦寇。 |
Meng: | 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. | |
象傳: | 利用禦寇,上下順也。 | |
Xiang Zhuan: | 'Advantage will come from warding off injury:' - (the subject of this line) above and (the ignorant) below, all do and are done to in accordance with their nature. |
Wilhelm (en, fr)
In this hexagram we are reminded of youth and folly in two different ways. The image of the upper trigram, Ken, is the mountain, that of the lower, K'an, is water; the spring rising at the foot of the mountain is the image of inexperienced youth. Keeping still is the attribute of the upper trigram; that of the lower is the abyss, danger. Stopping in perplexity on the brink of a dangerous abyss is a symbol of the folly of youth. However, the two trigrams also show the way of overcoming the follies of youth. Water is something that of necessity flows on. When the spring gushes forth, it does not know at first where it will go. But its steady flow fills up the deep place blocking its progress, and success is attained.
In the time of youth, folly is not an evil. One may succeed in spite of it, provided one finds an experienced teacher and has the right attitude toward him. This means, first of all, that the youth himself must be conscious of his lack of experience and must seek out the teacher. Without this modesty and this interest there is no guarantee that he has the necessary receptivity, which should express itself in respectful acceptance of the teacher. This is the reason why the teacher must wait to be sought out instead of offering himself. Only thus can the instruction take place at the right time and in the right way.
A teacher's answer to the question of a pupil ought to be clear and definite like that expected from an oracle; thereupon it ought to be accepted as a key for resolution of doubts and a basis for decision. If mistrustful or unintelligent questioning is kept up, it serves only to annoy the teacher. He does well to ignore it in silence, just as the oracle gives one answer only and refuses to be tempted by questions implying doubt.
Given addition a perseverance that never slackens until the points are mastered one by one, real success is sure to follow. Thus the hexagram counsels the teacher as well as the pupil.
A spring succeeds in flowing on and escapes stagnation by filling up all the hollow places in its path. In the same way character is developed by thoroughness that skips nothing but, like water, gradually and steadily fills up all gaps and so flows onward.
Law is the beginning of education. Youth in its inexperience is inclined at first to take everything carelessly and playfully. It must be shown the seriousness of life. A certain measure of taking oneself in hand, brought about by strict discipline, is a good thing. He who plays with life never amounts to anything. However, discipline should not degenerate into drill. Continuous drill has a humiliating effect and cripples a man's powers.
These lines picture a man who has no external power, but who has enough strength of mind to bear his burden of responsibility. He has the inner superiority and that enable him to tolerate with kindliness the shortcomings of human folly. The same attitude is owed to women as the weaker sex. One must understand them and give them recognition in a spirit of chivalrous consideration. Only this combination of inner strength with outer reserve enables one to take on the responsibility of directing a larger social body with real success.
A weak, inexperienced man, struggling to rise, easily loses his own individuality when he slavishly imitates a strong personality of higher station. He is like a girl throwing herself away when she meets a strong man. Such a servile approach should not be encouraged, because it is bad both for the youth and the teacher. A girl owes it to her dignity to wait until she is wooed. In both cases it is undignified to offer oneself, and no good comes of accepting such an offer.
For youthful folly it is the most hopeless thing to entangle itself in empty imaginings. The more obstinately it clings to such unreal fantasies, the more certainly will humiliation overtake it.
Often the teacher, when confronted with such entangled folly, has no other course but to leave the fool to himself for a time, not sparing him the humiliation that results. This is frequently the only means of rescue.
Sometimes an incorrigible fool must be punished. He who will not heed will be made to feel. This punishment is quite different from a preliminary shaking up. But the penalty should not be imposed in anger; it must be restricted to an objective guarding against unjustified excesses. Punishment is never an end in itself but serves merely to restore order.
This applies not only in regard to education but also in regard to the measures taken by a government against a populace guilty of transgressions. Governmental interference should always be merely preventive and should have as its sole aim the establishment of public security and peace.
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