#3 Chun (also tún or zhān) / Difficulty at the Beginning & #4 Mêng / Youthful Folly

#3  – K’an (Water) over Chên (Thunder)

CLOUDS AND THUNDER COMMINGLE

#4  – Kên (Mountain) over K’an (Water)

SPRING GUSHES FORTH FROM THE MOUNTAIN

Theme: A time of difficult beginnings a time of youthful inexperience

Aspect	#3 Difficulty at the Beginning (Sprouting)	#4 Youthful Folly (Inexperience)
Situation
Symbolically	Clouds over thunder – chaos fills the air as primal forces merge.	A spring rises at the foot of the mountain.
Socially	Two entities converge and create something new.	Experience with the situation at hand is lacking.
Individually	There is confusion and indecision associated with new ideas and changing perspectives.	One’s brilliance is hidden within like the potential of uncarved jade.
Response
Symbolically	Rain falls and energy is released filling the space between with movement and potential.	Water gushes forth and steadily fills deep places that impede its progress.
Socially	The chaos of an initial commingling can be ordered through collaboration and perseverance.	Educate those who are humble and willing to learn.
Individually	Plan and set things in order – prepare and engage with others for support and advice.	One who humbly acknowledges lack of wisdom seeks out a willing teacher.
Outcome
Symbolically	All things breathe freely after the storm has passed – new beings emerge!	The spring succeeds in flowing on but its purity is tainted by what it contacts.
Socially	A new structure emerges with difficulty through movement and organization	Obfuscation is replaced by clarity through persistent effort guided by wisdom.
Individually	Confusion associated with new ideas will give way to success with continued effort.	The inexperienced achieves success by gradually and thoroughly filling all the gaps in one’s knowledge.
The Lines
Top Line	One is isolated and lost – make a complete break and start anew.	Punish ignorant transgressions to restore order, prevent unjustified excess, and promote progress, but not in anger which would be a further transgression.
5th	Confucius advises that “One’s brilliance is not yet recognized.”  Cautiously pursue only small efforts with confidence.	One with a childlike attitude devoid of arrogance finds willing teachers.
4th	One acknowledges that aid is needed and thereby succeeds.	One’s obstinate infatuation with fantasy prevents growth and leads to humiliation.
3rd	Blundering into unknown territory without a guide leads to humiliation – better to alter the course.	No good comes of servile behavior aimed at ingratiating oneself with what is desired.
2nd	Unexpected aid could alleviate difficulties but wait instead for normalcy to return rather than encumber oneself with obligations.	Inner strength and outer reserve enable one to find value in all and bear the burden of leadership with good fortune.
Bottom Line	Having encountered an obstacle at the beginning, pause, seek help, stay focused on the goal, and humbly persevere.	Discipline is needed to set the proper tone for development but punishment and restraints would be counter-productive.
Recap
#3.  Tún means to collect and store up – such as in a warehouse. The difficulty of a fragile sprout emerging from soil captures yuan, heng, li, and zhen: the four stages of the time cycle that serve as a model for all dynamic processes.     Yuan – the creative potential opening in spring;     Heng – growth and generous expansion from stored bounty in summer;     Li – making use of the opportunities a good harvest enables in fall;     Zhen (Chen) – putting the question to the test by following the advice of the oracle in winter This hexagram (as is the case for #1 and #2) indicates that the query (Chen) is related to a larger process and that the beginning (Yuan) of a favorable outcome (Li) is a generous offering from one’s bounty (Heng). There is the idea of making continued progress and thereby laying the foundation for achieving a high standard such as the progress one makes from apprentice through journeyman to master. There is also the idea of advancing resolutely despite initial challenges and difficulties such as the sprout that must push up through the soil. This is the image conveyed by the pictogram – a root beneath the ground surface and a sprout emerging. The initial union between Heaven (#1) and Earth (#2) is challenging. The aroused thunder thrusts upward and the abysmal moisture-laden clouds envelop downward. The union of these primal forces is dynamic and energetic. From that chaotic motion emerges form and the beginning of things. The newly born is full of potential, what follows is #4 – Youthful Folly. #4. Meng refers to the lack of wisdom inherent in youth. The pictogram for meng depicts grasses growing on the roof of a house to illustrate the idea of being covered. The education of children, qimeng, means to lift or open the cover of ignorance and uncover what is concealed within. Meng, therefore represents the ignorance of youth that is yet to be revealed. Guidance is offered here for both the novice and the master. As the spring gushes forth at the foot of the venerable mountain filling all the empty spaces, a novice may playfully flit from subject to subject not knowing where to focus attention. With awareness of one’s lack of knowledge, trust in a wise advisor, and disciplined effort, the empty spaces in one’s knowledge are filled like many individual pools until they flow together in the intended direction. The novice’s lack of knowledge must be internalized and accepted to make meaningful progress. Having recognized one’s limitations, it is possible to seek out and humbly employ the services of a master. A master should provide clear and definite instruction and expect the respectful acceptance of lessons. Discipline has value but should not degenerate into drills that cripple and demoralize.  When confronted by importunity, the master silently waits like the still mountain for the novice’s cup to fill.  Punishment of the incorrigible novice can be effective to restore order and realign the course but should not become the norm.  Perseverance that never slackens until individual steps are mastered one by one produces lasting success. Youthful beings require nourishment and nurturing to grow.  Thus, what follows is #5 Confident Waiting/Nourishment.

#3 - Chun: Difficulty at the Beginning

#4 - Meng:  Youthful Folly