Youthful Folly - Meng

Meaning and Overview

The Hexagram of Meng (Youthful Folly) is specifically about the education of the ignorant. It takes the education of sages as its standard, stating, 'Through nurturing the correct nature in youth, one achieves the work of a sage.' It advocates positive role-model education. 'To enlighten the ignorant, use exemplary persons' — here '刑' (xing) means 'model' (型), and '刑人' refers to exemplary figures. It promotes that the learner should actively and consciously seek instruction; only when the learner possesses the quality of actively seeking teaching can education succeed. The yin lines in this hexagram represent the ignorant children or those being educated: the first, third, fourth, and fifth lines (all yin) are students in need of education. The yang lines represent the educators: the second and top lines (both yang) are teachers. The first yin line follows the second yang line, indicating humility in seeking instruction and emulating the teacher in all matters, naturally nurturing correctness and achieving sage-like merit. The fifth yin line corresponds correctly with the second yang line (yin and yang in harmony), and also follows the top yang line, thus having two teachers; hence the judgment: 'Six in the fifth place: The ignorant youth, good fortune.' The third yin line rides over the second yang line (a weak line riding a strong one), indicating self-righteousness, lack of humility, disrespect for the teacher, and inability to actively seek instruction. The third yin line corresponds with the top yang line, but the top and third are far apart, separated by the fourth and fifth yin lines. Therefore, the third line's problems cannot be promptly addressed through education. The line statement says, 'Do not marry such a woman' — one should not marry a woman who has not received proper education, as she is easily dazzled by wealth and confused by a man's riches and charm. The fourth yin line lies in a position of double yin, far from both the second and top yang lines, trapped in ignorance and difficulty, naturally unable to receive education from the teachers. From this hexagram, we see that students must actively seek instruction, draw near to and respect their teachers, in order to learn knowledge and improve their qualities, abilities, and conduct.