The meaning of the term "watching over each other" comes from Mencius Teng Wen Gongshang

Original title: The meaning of the word "watching over each other" (Teacher Du's Chinese mailbox)

Teacher Du:

Recently, there are often words such as "helping each other in the same boat and watching out for each other" in the newspapers, please explain in detail the meaning of the term "watching over each other". Thank you!

Hebei reader Ding Zaihong

Ding Zaihong Readers:

"Watching and helping each other" is an idiom from a sentence in "Mencius Teng Wen Gongshang": "If you die and do not go out of the countryside, the countryside is the same well, you go in and out of each other, watch over each other, and the disease supports each other, then the people are friendly." The meaning of this sentence is: "The families of the same well field (a land system at that time) come and go on weekdays, love each other, guard and watch against thieves, help each other, and take care of each other whenever there is an illness, then the people will love and harmonize with each other." ”

In "Watching Each Other", "Watching" is "Defending", "Guarding", "Looking" Is "Watching" and "Observing", and "Watching" refers to "Guarding And Watching". For example:

(1) Its residence is often chased by water and grass, so there is no city Guo Yiju settlement to watch over the work. (Song Sushi's "Decision")

(2) I am here to watch, and you go to the ship to report to the lord, and then do the truth. (Kunqu opera "Fifteen Guans visiting rats")

"Watching out" means "mutual defense." After Mencius, successive use cases of "watching out for each other" have expressed the meaning of "common defense". For example:

(3) Eight families in total, each receiving 100 acres of private land, 10 acres of public land, is 880 acres, and the remaining 20 acres are considered to be houses. Coming and going in and out of friendship, watching out for each other, saving each other from diseases, and the people are in harmony. (The Book of Han.) Volume II IV. Food Chronicles")

(4) There are policemen who are watching out for each other and helping each other, and the people are afraid. (Song Wei Weng's "Heshan Anthology")

(5) The countryside is scattered, the situation is weak, and it is difficult to watch over and help each other. (Qing Lin Changyi's Collected Poems of Lin Changyi)

(6) Neighbors and neighbors must always watch out for each other and help each other with diseases. (Ma Feng and Xi Rong, "The Legend of the Heroes of Lü Liang")

As can be seen from these use cases, "watching each other" means that people living next to each other, in the guard and watch guard, help each other, cooperate with each other, so that when the invasion comes, they will jointly defend and be safe.

Originating from the pre-Qin era, "watching over each other" and later ancient use cases show that "watching over each other" is a traditional concept of the Chinese nation for thousands of years. This concept emphasizes mutual assistance and cooperation for common security.

Du Yongdao, former editor-in-chief of Language and Character Newspaper

Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition