Chasing Goodness: A Pursuit of All Three｜好心追追追　有三不缺一  

【By Ching Pan from Hsi Lai Subchapter】Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of the Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Buddhist Order, once wrote in the book Humble Table, Wise Fare: 

“Speaking good words without doing good deeds renders those words meaningless. Doing good deeds without speaking good words makes those deeds insignificant.”

The Venerable Master’s teachings are simple yet profound. However, it made me wonder: why are “good thoughts” not explicitly mentioned as part of the Three Acts of Goodness in his teachings here? So, I began my journey of “Chasing Good Thoughts” to find an answer.

Friends shared their insights, suggesting that Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s teaching assumes that “thinking good thoughts” is a prerequisite. Without it, one cannot truly speak good words or do good deeds. Thus, the teaching focuses on the interplay between good words and good deeds, leaving “good thoughts” implied.

Yet, I couldn’t resist extending the thought further:
“To speak good words without thinking good thoughts makes those words hollow. To do good deeds without thinking good thoughts makes those deeds meaningless.”

This led me to another question: are there people who believe they have “good thoughts” but are unwilling to speak good words or do good deeds?

A friend shared an observation:
“Some people think practicing Buddhism doesn’t require effort. Why bother upholding precepts or chanting? As long as they believe their thoughts are good, that’s enough. However, such ‘good thoughts’ are often tinged with arrogance. These individuals may avoid taking action—or feel unable to—and yet perceive themselves as morally superior. Their so-called ‘good thoughts’ are like products with harmful additives: they may seem fine on the surface but ultimately cause harm.”

This prompted me to conclude:
“To merely think good thoughts without expressing them in words or actions is nothing but hypocrisy.”

When I first took on the role of a subchapter president under Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Los Angeles Chapter, the same friend warned me:
“If your ‘good thoughts’ are forced and you fulfill your role reluctantly, then your good words and good deeds will be as futile as trying to carry water in a bamboo basket.”

I deeply resonate with this sentiment. I realized that I took on this role out of a sense of obligation—believing that if I were a good person, I should take on this position. No wonder I was overwhelmed with frustration. Upon reflecting after my term ended, I understood that my unhappiness stemmed from forcing myself into the role due to “good thoughts” rather than genuine willingness.

May I now strive diligently, ensuring that none of the Three Acts of Goodness, in their true essence, are ever lacking!

For those who believe that “a good thought is enough” and dismiss practices like upholding precepts or chanting as trivial formalities, I’d offer another teaching from Humble Table, Wise Fare:

“Worldly actions may be transient, but they are essential for spiritual progress. Conversely, clinging to transcendental truths may hinder clarity and wisdom.”

The teachings of Humble Table, Wise Fare are truly thought-provoking, making it a book worth pursuing.

Photo by Ching Pan

Caption: A stone bearing the Chinese words “Three Acts of Goodness,” written as a reminder of the Venerable Master’s teachings.

好心追追追　有三不缺一 

【西來分會 潘青霞 】 佛光山開山祖師星雲大師在《佛光菜根譚》中寫道：「只說好話不做好事，好話等於廢話；只做好事不說好話，好事等於無事。」大師的文字深入淺出，但也讓我心生疑惑，三好裡的「存好心」為何未被提及？於是我開始「好心追追追」追答案！ 

朋友們認為，星雲大師的這則教誨已隱含「存好心」為前提。沒有存好心，自然無法真正說好話或做好事；因此，他著重探討「說好話」與「做好事」的相輔相成，而未特別提及「存好心」。 然而，我依然忍不住以此延伸：「只說好話不存好心，好話是空話；只做好事不存好心，好事沒意思。」 

接著，我又思考了一個問題：是否有些人自認「存好心」，卻不願意說好話、做好事呢？ 

朋友A分享了他的觀察，他說：「有些人覺得學佛不用那麼認真，何須持戒、念佛，只要心好就夠了。他自認為他有好心，然而，這樣的『好心』實則摻雜了卑慢。這些人明明什麼都不做，也做不到，卻心裡自覺了不起。這種『好心』就像含有非法添加物的產品，會傷身。」 

因此，我又總結：「只存好心不顯言行，只是假惺惺。」 

朋友A在我剛上任國際佛光會洛杉磯協會某分會長時就提醒我，若只是以「勉強的好心」邊做邊唉唉叫地擔任分會長，說的好話與做的好事就像「竹籃打水」。卸任後，我對此感觸尤深，我當時出於「我若是個好人，就應該承擔這份職位」而「勉強好心」為之，難怪痛不欲生。

願我開始奮起直追，實踐三好的真義，三好不缺一！ 

對於那些認為「心好就好」，將持戒與念佛視如敝屣，視其為無關緊要的形式的人 ，我想或許可以用星雲大師的另一則《佛光菜根譚》來回應：「有為法雖假，棄之則佛道難成；無為法雖真，執之則慧光不明。」 

《佛光菜根譚》 真耐人尋味，好書值得追追追。 

攝影：潘青霞

圖說：一顆「三好石」。