宋黃庭堅，元符中為太史，性至孝。身雖貴顯，奉母盡誠。每夕，親自為母滌溺器，未嘗一刻不供子職。有詩稱讚：貴顯聞天下，平生孝事親。親自滌溺器，不用婢妾人。
黃山谷是個孝子，二十四孝裏有一則家喻户曉的故事──滌親溺器，説的就是他。他秉性至孝，自小侍
奉父母極真誠而且無微不至。因為母親有潔癖，受不了馬桶的異味，所以他從小就每天親自傾倒並清洗母親所使用的馬桶，數十年如一日。即使日後身為朝中顯貴，也絲毫未嘗忽略照顧侍奉母親，儘管當時僕從甚多，大可不用親自為母親清滌馬桶，但是他認為孝事父母是為人子女親自該做的事，不可以委託他人之手，盡心侍親和當不當官時是沒有什麼不同的。
當母親病危的時候，黃山谷更是衣不解帶，日夜侍奉在病榻前，親自淺嚐湯藥，沒有一刻未盡到人子的孝道。所以在史書上，蘇東坡讚歎他「瑰偉之文，妙絕當世；孝友之行，追配古人。」這是説他的文章瑰偉，氣韻超然，無可比擬；而他孝順父母，友愛兄弟的情操，可以媲美古人。
自古以來，上至國家君王，下到平民百姓，都是以孝敬父母為修身立德的根本。今天隨着客觀物質環境的發展變化，人們往往因為所謂的“繁忙”，而過多依賴自己所擁有的外在物質條件，進而取代自己為人子女應盡的本分，甚至將孝道“代理”出去。
冷靜思維，當我們用大把的鈔票或傭人，取代我們孝敬父母的本分時，可曾想到：倘若父母在我們小的時候，也用鈔票和傭人來將對我們的那份慈愛與呵護代理出去，今天的我們會不會有如此健康的身心呢？
憶古思今，黃庭堅能夠效法古聖先賢的德行，不受外界環境影響，做到恪儘子道，至誠孝事父母，相信今天的我們，同樣能夠曲承親意，力行孝道，給父母一個安康幸福的晚年。
孔子在《孝經》中説：“孝子之事親也，居則致其敬，養則致其樂，病則致其憂，喪則致其哀，祭則致其嚴。五者備矣，然後能事親。”可見，孝敬父母之事不分大小，唯有出自本心的恭敬，方能做得圓滿。
“若根得水，枝葉花果悉皆繁茂”這是自然的大道。若讓我們的生活事業都能枝繁葉茂、碩果累累，惟有從孝愛我們的生命之根——父母祖先，誠心誠意地做起。
One morning, in the Song Dynasty, Huang Ting Jian was practicing taichi. As the sun rose, a servant came by.
“Lao ye.”
” Did my mother wake up yet?” he asked the servant as he wiped away his sweat.
” Yes, lao ye. She just did.”
” I’m going to go see her.”
Huang Ting Jian walked to his mother’s room.
“Mother, do you feel quite energized today?” he asked as he held her breakfast in a tray.
” Yes, yes.” she replied as he set the tray in the maid’s hand.
He picked up a bowl of porridge, stirred it, and tasted it, checking its taste, texture, and temperature.
” Mother. Try some of this porridge. It’s delicious.”
” Okay, let’s taste it.” she said.
He brought the spoon up to her mouth and she swallowed two spoonfuls.
” Mmm, it tastes delightful.” she chuckled.
Later in the day, two maids noticed Huang Ting Jian walking into his mother’s room.
” Lao ye is so good to his mother.” one of the maids said.
” Yes, and he is a politician.” the other replied.
” Yes, what kind of politician empties out the chamber pot?”
” We all think the chamber pot is dirty and smelly, and we’re not willing to wash it. But Lao Ye doesn’t care of the stench! He doesn’t mind at all!”
” Not just not minding it, he does it every day! His mother’s so lucky.”
” Lao Ye’s coming!” the first maid said.
They both walked off as Huang Ting Jian walked out with the chamber pot. He walked to the river, and cleaned it out patiently.
Meanwhile, as a maid helped the old woman into her room, the old woman noticed that the chamber pot was missing. She sighed.
” This child, not listening!” she muttered.
” Who’s not listening, Mother?” he asked.
” You, of course! How many times have I told you. Washing chamber pots- servants could do that! A person of your rank should not be washing the chamber pots.”
” Mother, as your son, I should be doing these kinds of things. Please don’t chastise me.” he said as he put the chamber pot against the wall.
” Pay attention to your rank. You’re still a politician. People would make a joke of this.”
” As a son, I should do this. Who will joke about it?”
” Ai! I can’t argue over you.”
Later that night, when it was time for sleep, he decided it was time to go back to his own room.
” Mother, I’ll be leaving. Good night.”
He left the room.
The old woman sat idly, staring into space, recalling the memories from that day, how her son has been so good to her.
“Mistress? Mistress. It is time to sleep.” a maid said.
” Yes. Time to sleep.”
The maid tucked her into bed, drew the curtains, blew out the candle, and went outside.
