HEXAGRAM 4
NOT KNOWING

KEY WORD:    
MESSAGE:    

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Hexagram 4 gives the analogy of a relationship between a student and a teacher to  show the need of awareness that can only be gained by knowledge and experience. You need to be thorough and precise to be successful. When you have a full understanding of the situation and the problem you’ll become wise enough to proceed correctly. Foolishness and lack of common sense is the issue in the situation. An experienced teacher is needed with the right attitude.

Therefore don’t be rash and foolish when you are dealing with ignorance. Someone needs to be educated but they also need to accept and respect the teacher. The pupil must want to learn. The teacher needs to be clear and specific when there are doubts. If ignorant mistrustful or unintelligent questioning is kept up, it only serves to be annoying and the teacher does well to ignore it in silence.

Give up trying to help and teach others to do the right thing if they do not want to learn.  Refuse to continue teaching someone who is doubting your experience and knowledge.  If someone doubts you ignore them. Let people live their own lives and learn their own lessons. You may offer them your wisdom or advice, but do so only if they are receptive. Trying to teach someone who is unwilling to learn is foolish. Only when the student is respectful and receptive is it advantageous to persevere. The teacher needs to be thorough and specific when answering questions and should have the right attitude. Hexagram 4 counsels the teacher as well as the pupil. Do not continue if you don’t know. Learn all the facts first.

t’s to your advantage to proceed in a trusting and sincere manner and learn and do more research to get all the facts first.

HEXAGRAM 4
LINES ANALYSIS

LINE 1
If you want to inform and teach an ignorant fool it’s to your advantage to apply discipline and set them straight from the start. Restrictions and limitations that confine someone from learning should be removed. It’s humiliating and doesn’t help to make headway.

LINE 2
It’s auspicious to be supportive and accepting and to not discriminate. You are capable of managing the situation. Be kind, tolerant, patient, polite and understanding towards foolish ignorant people, who did you wrong, or who are against you or having trouble understanding you. Be like a teacher towards young students.

LINE 3
Do not marry a woman who is idealistic and foolish and loses herself by acting improperly when meeting a wealthy man. This is ignorant and immoral behaviour.

LINE 4
Ignorance is bliss. It is the most hopeless thing to see someone become trapped and entangled in a fantasy world and not be able to let go. They have distanced themselves from reality. It would be best to leave the fool alone instead of informing them and spare them the humiliation of waking up to the reality of the situation. Sometimes this is the only means to save someone from further humiliation.

LINE 5
Childlike ignorance is favourable because it has to do with inexperience and not  with being foolish. When someone asks questions to seek knowledge and information, they want to learn and listen so its forgiven.

LINE 6
Ignorance needs to be eliminated through prevention not punishment. It must be done properly without offending the other person so as to prevent wrongdoing from happening again. Nothing will change if you chastise people and it feels like you are punishing them. You can’t punish an ignorant person. It’s like punishing a hardened criminal, they’ll just retaliate. It’s to your advantage to defend yourself against ignorant people in a friendly manner.