亨。匪我求童蒙,童蒙求我。初筮告,再三渎,渎则不告。利贞。
Măng (indicates that in the case which it presupposes) there will be progress and success. I do not (go and) seek the youthful and inexperienced, but he comes and seeks me. When he shows (the sincerity that marks) the first recourse to divination, I instruct him. If he apply a second and third time, that is troublesome; and I do not instruct the troublesome. There will be advantage in being firm and correct.
「筮」,筮者决疑之物也。童蒙之来求我,欲决所惑也。决之不一,不知所从,则复惑也。故初筮则告,再、三则渎。渎,蒙也。能为初筮,其唯二乎?以刚处中,能断夫疑者也。 「蒙」之所利,乃利正也。夫明莫若圣,昧莫若蒙。蒙以养正乃圣功也。然则养正以明,失其道矣。
「蒙亨」至「渎则不告」。○正义曰:蒙者,微昧暗弱之名。物皆蒙昧,唯原亨通,故云「蒙、亨」。「匪我求童蒙,童蒙求我」者,物既暗弱而意原亨通,即明者不求于暗,即匪我师德之高明往求童蒙之暗,但暗者求明,明者不咨于暗,故云「童蒙求我」也。「初筮告」者,初者,发始之辞;筮者,决疑之物。童蒙既来求我,我当以初始一理剖决告之。「再三渎,渎则不告」者,师若迟疑不定,或再或三,是亵渎,渎则不告。童蒙来问,本为决疑,师若以广深二义再三之言告之,则童蒙闻之,转亦渎乱,故不如不告也。自此以上,解「蒙亨」之义。顺此上事,乃得「亨」也。故「亨」文在此事之上也。不云「元」者,谓时当蒙弱,未有元也。○注「初筮告」。○正义曰:「初筮则告」者,童蒙既来求我,我当以初心所念所筮之义,一理而剖告之。「再三则渎,渎,蒙也」者,若以弃此初本之意,而犹豫迟疑,岐头别说,则童蒙之人,闻之亵渎而烦乱也。故「再三则渎,渎,蒙也」。「能为初筮,其唯二乎」者,以《彖》云「初筮告,以刚中」者,刚而得中故知是二也。 「利贞」。○正义曰:贞,正也。言蒙之为义,利以养正,故《彖》云「蒙以养正」,乃「圣功也」。若养正以明,即失其道也。○注「然则养正以明失其道」。○正义曰:「然则养正以明,失其道」者,言人虽怀圣德,若隐默不言,人则莫测其浅深,不知其大小,所以圣德弥远而难测矣。若彰显其德,苟自发明,即人知其所为,识其浅深。故《明夷》注云「明夷莅众,显明于外,巧所避」是也。此卦,《系辞》皆以人事明之。