M^ eng / Youthful Folly
above: K^ en Keeping Still, Mountain
below: K'an The Abysmal, Water
In this hexagram we are reminded of youth and folly in two different
ways. The image of the upper trigram, Kên, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.