Save Those in Danger and Help Those in Hardship
This concept originated in the Outlaws of the Marsh (Shui Hu). As a traditional virtue, the idea is reflected in many Chinese classics. For example, the Book of History, a pre-Qin classic, advised the ruler to avoid oppressing the helpless or neglecting the poor. In The Analects of Confucius, the sage declared that a gentleman helps the distressed instead of further enriching the rich. In his eponymous book, Mozi (c. 468-376 B.C.) advocated universal love. "Let him who has strength be alert to help others, let him who has wealth endeavor to share it with others, and let him who possesses the Dao (Way) teach others persuasively," he wrote. "In this way, the hungry will be fed, and the cold will be clothed.When tumult is brought to an end, sound governance will be secured." A more vivid expression of the idea is captured in the Chinese proverb, "Better send charcoal in snowy weather than add flowers to a brocade." The notion not only stresses a sense of responsibility but also expresses sympathy for those in distress. It gives the benefactor a sense of joy.
Influenced by this idea, the Chinese developed a spirit of unity and mutual assistance to navigate difficulties. In recent years, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government have been promoting core socialist values in society to preserve and revive the traditional virtues of unity and mutual assistance as well as assistance to people in need, calling on people from all walks of life to get involved in the cause of poverty reduction and take concrete actions to help the impoverished. Relentless efforts resulted in China securing a complete victory in the fight against poverty and welcoming a moderately prosperous society in all respects by lifting nearly 100 million rural population out of poverty, eliminating overall regional poverty, and eradicating extreme poverty, which now serves as a shining example of how the Chinese practice this traditional virtue.
扶危濟困
扶危濟困出自《水滸全傳》，意為扶助面臨危難的人，救濟陷入困苦的人。扶危濟困是中華民族的傳統(tǒng)美德。先秦典籍《尚書》告誡執(zhí)政者，不要虐待那些鰥寡孤獨求告無門的人，不要拋棄困苦貧窮無所依靠的人。孔子提出，君子應(yīng)當幫助有急需的人，而不是本來富有的人。墨子（約前468—前376之間）希望人們愛人如己（兼相愛），主張有力氣的人盡力幫助他人，有錢財?shù)娜伺Ψ纸o他人，有知識的人勉力教育他人，才能讓饑餓的人得到食物，寒冷的人得到衣服，從而結(jié)束混亂，實現(xiàn)善治。中國民間諺語中還有“與其錦上添花，不如雪中送炭”的形象說法。扶危濟困不僅是一種外在的義務(wù)或責任，更是對他人困難感同身受的同情心。扶危濟困不僅能幫助他人渡過難關(guān)，還能給施助者帶來內(nèi)心愉悅。
基于扶危濟困的傳統(tǒng)美德，中國人培養(yǎng)形成面對困難時團結(jié)互助的精神。近年來，中國共產(chǎn)黨和中國政府推動全社會踐行社會主義核心價值觀，傳承中華民族守望相助、和衷共濟、扶貧濟困的傳統(tǒng)美德，引導(dǎo)社會各界關(guān)愛貧困群眾、關(guān)心減貧事業(yè)、投身脫貧行動。經(jīng)過不懈努力，中國近1億農(nóng)村貧困人口全部脫貧，脫貧攻堅戰(zhàn)取得了全面勝利，區(qū)域性整體貧困得到解決，完成了消除絕對貧困的艱巨任務(wù)，全面建成小康社會。這正是扶危濟困精神在當代中國的生動實踐。
