Doing good for others does lift both the giver and receiver. However, it should be noted that many people don't actually know what is good for themselves or others! So this rule assumes that someone indeed knows what is "good" or "should be done" for themselves, and thus for others. Often people deem something very "good" for someone else, only to find out it wasn't the best thing to do/say/give after all. One's intention is also important.. often the "good doer" may act out of their own secret selfish motivations. They may not even be aware of this.. and then wonder why the whole process backfires. Intention is important, but it highlights that the best things one can do or give to others, is often the simplest of things which involve no risk- the giving of time, attention and love.

I have this crazy belief: I think that God wired the world in such a way that when we do good for others, it eventually comes back to you...but not if that is the reason you do good. It has to come out of love. Jesus mentions doing good for your neighbor as a spiritual maxim, and He was right about that.

So I agree that doing good is good for you.

Blessings, Jai

Kabbalah teaches that we can only get light from the Creator by sharing, so the theory has been around for thousands of years!

I believe that good will always return to you no matter what was your motivation for doing it. You could say that this could create "egoistic saints". But could an egoistic person really be able to perform genuinely good deeds? If you are ego-oriented, there are easier ways to get what you want.

In any case, if you examine the belief of karma, then as long as you have any karma on your account, you cannot achieve liberation. And it doesn't matter whether the karma is good or evil. That is why the solution is not to keep the obtained good to yourself but to share it with others.

If it feels right then it's good for you.

If you do it from a place of pure intention and love without any ulterior motive or expectation of anything in return then, and only then, will it be good for you because it will always feel like the right thing to do

I have to say that when I first read the question, my initial response was "yes, of course it does". Then I started thinking "What does doing good really mean?", which brought a few more questions and thoughts that I'm going to share.

1. What if the best way we could "do good" for others is to "do good" for ourselves first? If you don't love and show compassion for yourself, then can you really doing good for anyone else? You have to know, accept and appreciate who you truly are. This is loving yourself, then you can share yourself and really do good for others in a compassionate, loving and nourishing way.

2. What if "doing good" is something that is expected? If you feel "you should" do instead of "you would like" to do, then most likely it is based on your judgements and beliefs that you hold. If you feel "you should" do something, then it's probably not something that is good for you and possibly not for the others either. Note: we often use the word "should" even when we mean we "would like", so you do have to consider what your intention is or just tune into what your body tells you. If you feel lighter or more open and expansive at the thought of "doing good", then do it.

3. What if what you think as "doing good" for someone is not actually the best for that person? Again, this is back to our judgements and beliefs that we live our lives by. This gives us the order and security we need in our lives and we have a tendency to think everyone should live the same way, but we need to honor the fact that others are not like us or may have actually chosen the lesson of whatever their situation is. So there is a fine line of what we think is good and what may actually be good or best.

If you consider these questions and still feel you would like to "do good" for someone and you have no expectations of recognition or getting something in return, then most definitely it is doing good for you. I honestly believe though that the very best thing that we can do is to show as much love and compassion for ourselves as we do for others. When you do this, you will find that you are happier, more peaceful and automatically share yourself in a way that is "good" for everyone.

Wishing everyone love and peace :)

http://www.inwardquest.com/questions/14872/if-you-can-help-people-without-any-motive-for-yourself-will-it-be-done-back-to-y

so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Proverbs 25:22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.

Jeremiah 17:10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

Matthew 6:3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

http://bible.cc/matthew/6-4.htm

but people that get healed i think they deserve it and get healed for the merit they have(or good act they made in this life)

http://www.inwardquest.com/questions/13722/does-anyone-ever-feel-other-peoples-pain

experience and enjoy.