Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

before doing a good deed do i think i hope this gift of service or material object will benefit the recipient. or do i not have hope and think if this turns out to be benefical then i will have sympathetic joy. is hoping my good deeds are beneficial correct practice? or is it incorrect because my positive wishes might not come true?

I think this hoping is an example of intention and so will yield fruits. I suggest focus on how this intention arises and try to see how it's fruits ripen. This is not easy to do...be patient. Try this with all of your intentions. You might not see any results but there may be results you do not see for awhile.
chownah

I think you should look at your good deed as an act of dana, selfless giving, giving with no expectation of reward nor acknowledgement. Be careful that hoping that the good deed will be of benefit could be a subtle form of conceit.
kind regaerds,

Ben