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@Lionduck said:
Beneficial acts when done with "intent" indicates a self-other mindset.The act, though prima facia beneficial, is often more ego, "I am doing a beneficial act because I want the reward from the act." It is a act of selfishness in the guise of a beneficial act.
A Beneficial act performed without expectation of reward, the selfless act, is the act generating true reward, the reward neither sought nor expected.

It is interesting that learning what is a beneficial act allows the ego to enter in. You can see, I am benefitting from the act, and because I benefit I will do this act and other beneficial acts more. You learn to be selfish over time, and the ego, hidden under the guise of doing beneficial acts, becomes more prominent.

On the other hand, if you choose to forget what is beneficial, and you just do what you choose to do, then you may do some beneficial things just by accident. And as long as you know what is unbeneficial, or even anti-beneficial, and avoid doing those things, you can, all things considered, lead a good life without knowing about the benefits of goodness.

Another route one could take is to learn what is beneficial, without taking note of the rewards. In this way, you can know what is good for you, without starting to focus on the benefits and thus allowing ego and covetousness a foothold.

A thirteenth Century monk wrote:
_When you hold the lantern for others, you light the way for yourself.
_

One can memorize all "80,000 teachings" of the Buddha and know the words yet not realize the heart of the Buddha. It is said that Devadatta memorized all the teachings of Siddhartha. Yet he failed to understand Siddhartha's heart and opposed him as his self declared enemy, attacking Siddhartha and his disciples repeatedly.
Suri and Handkuo were considered simple beings, unable to eve distinguish between themselves who was who. Yet, they understood the Buddha's heart and were among the first to achieve Enlightenment.
Study is a necessary part of Buddhist practice. But study without understanding is no more than an exercise in ego. It is not the words, but what is within the words, the message hidden within the message, that we must seek. It is in using the words to understand the heart of the Buddha and thus open one's own heart to the true message and meaning of the words.
A scholar studied the writings and practices of a certain school of Buddhism for twenty years. He knew the "How", but did not understand the "Why" of that school's success.
When he approached a senior member of that school, he explained his conundrum.
To which the leader said to him (the scholar), that it was time for him to see the why. It was time for him to DO. It is said that once the scholar took the action, pt all that theory, all that study, into action, by applying it through action, he immediately understood.
From the leg of stude and the leg of practice grows the leg of understanding and faith.
Without practice, study is just unverified theory
Without study, practice is like wandering in a fog.
Without practice and study, faith is meaningless, blind
Thus Faith is at first no more than a willingness to study and practice.
As one studies, learning the WHY
As one practices, sharpening the HOW
One's faith grows and manifests into the NOW
The mind grows, the heart expands to enfold all within and without
The Buddha shines from within to light the way for self and others.

I forget who said it but I was told that :
We are all children of the Buddha
Being children of the Buddha, we are each Buddha
We just haven't awakend to that reality yet.

Peace to all

“The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish, and when the fish are caught the trap is forgotten. The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits. When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten. The purpose of the word is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is the one I would like to talk to.”

― Chuang Tzu

I came across an interesting quote from Herman Hesse’s book Siddhartha, in which a wanderer of that name meets Gautama the Buddha and tells him that he can’t follow him, because he himself had also only found the enlightenment without following anyone. The only teaching Siddhartha would take from the Buddha is ‘to be a light unto yourself.’

There are other teachers who have made similar points, such as Jiddu Krishnamurti’s famous speech that ‘truth is a pathless land.’ Or Osho’s assertion that there have been many millions of Buddhists, but have they created one more new Buddha?

Ultimately these various teachers can place your feet upon the path, but then you have to let go of their helping hands and make your own way forward using what they taught.