Those Who Do Not Take Mutual Aid Seriously Can Never Benefit from It

Mutual aid is a serious matter; it is not entertainment or leisure. On the one hand it helps raise funds for recipients, and on the other it brings possible future assistance to you and your family.

The sums are not small — often tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of yuan. When tens of thousands of yuan are involved, how can it be a trivial matter?

When we do not need help, we easily see mutual aid as dispensable and hope for leniency and human warmth — but risk, serious illness, accidents and misfortune show no leniency and no human warmth! They never miss a chance to devour us, and they will not stay away just because we are busy this month. If we face these great problems in a frivolous way, do we stand any chance of overcoming risk?

People often come to us complaining that they carelessly failed to fulfill an obligation and lost their rights, and now that they are ill they cannot get help; others often complain that the penalty charged for back-paying after missing an obligation is inhumane. Regrettably, that is simply how it is — that is the price of not taking it seriously.

Put yourself in others' shoes and you will understand why we enforce discipline strictly: it is the Commune's capacity to fight risk. When you truly understand that seriousness and discipline are protection for yourself, mutual aid will become your friend.