Hexagram 4 蒙, Line 1
蒙
Hexagram 4 · first line, divided (six)
發蒙，利用刑人，用說桎梏，以往吝。
The first line, divided, (has respect to) the dispelling of ignorance. It will be advantageous to use punishment (for that purpose), and to remove the shackles (from the mind). But going on in that way (of punishment) will give occasion for regret.
James Legge (1882), public domain.
Small image (小象)
利用刑人，以正法也。
If only this line changes, hexagram 4 becomes hexagram 41.
← Hexagram 4 蒙: judgment and all lines
Character glossary
- 發fāto issue, to dispatch, to send out; hair
- 蒙méngto cover; to deceive; Mongolia
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 刑xíngpunishment, penalty; law
- 人rénman, person; people
- 說shuōto speak, to say; to scold, to upbraid
- 桎zhìshackles, fetters, handcuffs
- 梏gùhandcuffs, manacles; fetters
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 往wǎngto go, to depart; past, former
- 吝lìnstingy, miserly; parsimonious
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 法fǎlaw, rule, statute; method, way; French
- 也yěalso, too
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.