---
title: 山水蒙 — Youthful Folly (Hexagram 4)
lang: en
canonical: https://ekidan.ai/library/4
alternates:
  - ja: https://ekidan.ai/ja/library/4
  - zh-Hant: https://ekidan.ai/zh/library/4
  - zh-TW: https://ekidan.ai/zh/library/4
  - zh-HK: https://ekidan.ai/zh/library/4
source: 高島易断 (Takashima Ekidan), public-domain 1893 English and 1901 Chinese editions
provider: ekidan.ai — AI-assisted I Ching reading grounded in 88 source-verified historical Takashima cases
license: Classical source text is public domain. This structured edition and its modern commentary are © ICHING LLC, ekidan.ai. Attribution requested when quoted.
---

# 山水蒙 · Youthful Folly — Hexagram 4

Hexagram 4 of the I Ching is 山水蒙 (Youthful Folly). Water at the foot of a mountain — youthful folly. Seek a teacher in earnest and light comes; stubbornness blocks it. Examine whether you ask with sincerity.

## Work / Relationships / Health

- **Work**: A time to relearn and accept mentorship.
- **Relationships**: Misunderstandings from immaturity; be candid.
- **Health**: Childhood ailments, ears and eyes.

## Structure

- Number: 4
- Name: 山水蒙
- English: Youthful Folly
- Romaji: san-sui-mō
- Pinyin: méng
- Upper: 山 (Mountain)
- Lower: 水 (Water)
- Lines (top to bottom):

```text
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
▬▬▬   ▬▬▬
▬▬▬   ▬▬▬
▬▬▬   ▬▬▬
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
▬▬▬   ▬▬▬
```

## Questions about this hexagram

### What does hexagram 4 (山水蒙) mean?

Water at the foot of a mountain — youthful folly. Seek a teacher in earnest and light comes; stubbornness blocks it.

### What does 山水蒙 counsel?

Examine whether you ask with sincerity.

### What does 山水蒙 say about work?

A time to relearn and accept mentorship.

### What does 山水蒙 say about relationships?

Misunderstandings from immaturity; be candid.

### What does 山水蒙 say about health?

Childhood ailments, ears and eyes.

### Which trigrams make up hexagram 4?

Upper trigram 山 (Mountain) over lower trigram 水 (Water).


Source: [Takashima Ekidan AI — ekidan.ai](https://ekidan.ai/library/4)