Fanning the Pillow and Warming the Bed: Filial Piety Comes First Among All Virtues
【Source】Liu Zhen, "Dongguan Hanji" (Eastern Han Records), "Biography of Huang Xiang" (Han Dynasty).
【Meaning】Describing utmost filial piety towards one's parents.
【Historical Story】
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a man named Huang Xiang. From a very young age, he knew how to be close to and respect his parents.
When he was nine years old, his mother passed away, and his father raised him alone. Deeply aware of his father's hardships, Huang Xiang showed him exceptional filial devotion and took on all household chores by himself. While other children played, he stayed home chopping firewood and cooking meals, so that his father could have more time to rest.
In summer, when the weather was hot, after his father finished working, he would sit in the courtyard to cool off. Huang Xiang would use a fan to cool his father's bed, then attend to him as he went to sleep. In winter, when it was bitterly cold, Huang Xiang would first warm the bed with his own body before allowing his father to lie down. Over time, Huang Xiang's filial conduct earned widespread praise from neighbors and villagers.
When Huang Xiang was twelve years old, the governor of Jiangxia praised him as "the most filial," and Emperor He of Han also commended him.
As he grew up, people recommended Huang Xiang for local government office. When serving as a governor, he cared deeply for the people's suffering, loved his subjects, and worked for their benefit. Once, the region where Huang Xiang served as governor suffered a devastating flood. Without hesitation, he donated his accumulated salary over the years to provide relief for the disaster-stricken people. At the same time, he petitioned the emperor to request tax relief for the people that year. The people deeply loved this good official who cared for them as his own children. At that time, a popular saying went: "Unrivaled under heaven, Jiangxia's Huang Xiang."
【Lessons for Growth】
An old saying goes well: "Filial piety comes first among all virtues." This means that respecting and caring for one's parents is the most important of all good virtues. Being born into this world and growing up in it, we all originate from our parents. Parents gave us life and nurtured us as we grew. Therefore, respecting and caring for parents and honoring elders is a fundamental human duty and the foundation upon which all other virtues are built. Just imagine, if a person cannot even show filial respect to his parents or repay their kindness in raising him, who would believe he is a good person? Who would want to associate with him? Filial piety is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation. We must take Huang Xiang as our role model and become good children who respect their parents and care for the elderly.