What Are the "Three Acts of Goodness"?
Throughout history, sages and noble individuals have been remembered for their good deeds, kind words, and pure hearts. Buddhism has long emphasized doing good and avoiding evil, as expressed in the teaching:
“Do nothing that is unwholesome, uphold all good deeds.”
Thus, practicing the “Three Acts of Goodness,” while seemingly simple, encapsulates the profound essence of the Buddha’s teachings. It is fully aligned with the Buddha’s original intention. If everyone practices the Three Acts of Goodness, the world will indeed become a better and more harmonious place.
【Excerpt from The Fo Guang Buddhist Electronic Dictionary, 4th Edition】
To "do good deeds" means to cultivate oneself and purify bodily karma. This involves transforming harmful, violent actions into altruistic and beneficial conduct for the benefits of all sentient beings — the actions of all buddhas. For example: not killing, not stealing, not committing sexual misconduct, and refraining from any form of wrongdoing. Instead, one should perform virtuous, noble, and helpful deeds that benefit others — this is what it means to do good deeds.
To "speak good words" is to train one's speech and purify verbal karma. This means replacing harsh, jealous, or hurtful speech with gentle, praising, and compassionate words — the words of a Buddha. One should avoid false speech, divisive speech, frivolous speech, and abusive speech. In our interactions, we should speak words of compassion, wisdom, and sincerity. By speaking with honesty and integrity, we naturally cultivate good interpersonal relationships.
To "think good thoughts" is to train the mind and purify mental karma. This means replacing deluded and unwholesome thoughts with the wise and compassionate mind of the Buddha. For example, avoid doubt, jealousy, greed, anger, and malice, and instead cultivate loving-kindness, compassion, aspiration, goodwill, and vows for the benefit of others. “Take care of your thoughts” — if each thought is imbued with compassion, naturally one will encounter good affinities.
In truth, whether good or bad, all human actions — of body, speech, and mind — generate a force that propels us to further actions. These new actions create new energies, leading to an ongoing cycle of cause and effect. The karma we create, whether wholesome or unwholesome, will, when conditions ripen, bring forth results we ourselves must bear.
Therefore, people generally understand the importance of doing good and avoiding evil. Buddhists, too, understand the principles of karma and rebirth.
In fact, scientists in the 21st century have found that the karmic forces described in Buddhism are much like the genetic codes they have discovered — the blueprints of life.
From a Buddhist perspective, what is revealed through the “genetic code of life” is the law of karma and rebirth — simply put: “As you sow, so shall you reap.” Cause and effect is the universal law that governs all existence and change. It is the truth of life and the cosmos.
Modern Interpretation by Venerable Master Hsing Yun
In Buddhism, the source of karmic actions arises from the three karmas of body, speech, and mind. Cultivation and practice also begin with purifying these three aspects. To purify the three karmas, one must do good deeds with the body, speak kind words, and harbour good thoughts in the mind.
In April 1998, at a blessing ceremony held at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taiwan to welcome the Buddha's tooth relic, I invited then-Vice President Lien Chan to join me in promoting the “Three Acts of Goodness” Movement — do good deeds, speak good words, and think good thoughts. Since then, this initiative has expanded beyond the Buddhist community to schools and society at large. Everyone has been encouraged to speak, act, and live according to the Three Acts of Goodness.