I Ching reading: Meng (Youthful Ignorance) changing to Shi (The Army)
Meng: Nine at the top
Striking at ignorance. It is not favorable to act as a robber; it is favorable to fend off robbers.
擊蒙，不利為寇，利禦寇。
慎Proceed with care
Reading
Yes, but carefully.You can't see clearly right now because you don't yet understand. It is time to go and ask, not to keep guessing.
Governing text · Meng: Nine at the top
In plain wordsTreating ignorance by hitting at it. Control him too harshly and press him too hard, and you harm him instead. Using the force to block temptation from outside and protect his true heart is what fits. This is not only about teaching; it holds for everything.
- Now
- You are at the stage of having no experience and not knowing where the door is, like a spring that has just welled up at the foot of a mountain and doesn't yet know which way to flow.
- The key
- Only one line is changing: Nine at the top. The answer is in that line. There is some risk, or some regret left over, but nothing serious. Notice it early, correct it early, and things turn for the better.
- Where it is heading
- Things are moving toward Shi (The Army): This is a hard battle that takes a lot of people. What matters most is the leader and the discipline.
- What to do
- Sincerely seek out someone who understands and ask. Ask once, listen carefully, and do as you are told. Don't keep asking about the same thing over and over until you get the answer you want.
Read more closely
Which text applies
One changing line: read that line of the primary hexagram.
Your six throws, bottom to top: 1: 8 yin · 2: 7 yang · 3: 8 yin · 4: 8 yin · 5: 8 yin · 6: 9 yang (changing)
Line position
Not in its proper place · answered by the third line
Top place: the end of the matter. What reaches its limit turns. Know when to stop.
Verdict words in the text
Nuclear hexagram · Fu (Return)
The worst is over, and the turn has come.
The nuclear hexagram is formed from the four inner lines. It shows what is going on inside the situation.
Full texts
One who truly knows the Changes does not need to divine. The text is for reflection; what you do is up to you.