Right Action

The definition of Right Action seems a little simplistic and obvious, so I have been thinking about this in different contexts; I have hardly come to any great conclusions and there are areas that I'm still battling with. For example, there are many rules within any society that may not sit well with one's moral choice; but the potential to take the non-societal option, even when that would fit closer to ones morals, is probably limited.  I suppose the compassionate view, expressed often as “Do to others as you would have them to do to you” is a reasonable starting point; as this invites us to consider that expressing compassion and respect for all other people is a way of doing what is right. Another web site suggests asking the following to determine whether and action is morally "right":  
What benefits and what harms will each course of action produce, and which alternative will lead to the best overall consequences? 
What moral rights do the affected parties have, and which course of action best respects those rights? 
Which course of action treats everyone the same, except where there is a morally justifiable reason not to, and does not show favouritism or discrimination? 
Which course of action advances the common good? 
Which course of action develops moral virtues?
These are similar to the Five Precepts within Buddhism, which are:
1. Refrain from destroying living beings.
2. Refrain from stealing.
3. Refrain from sexual misconduct (adultery, rape, etc.).
4. Refrain from false speech (lying).
5. Refrain from intoxicants.
So, how to tell what is right and what is wrong? Many would argue that it is the moral codes of the traditional religions that have made society orderly and peaceful, but is this still (was it ever) correct? Society's rules do not necessarily provide us with the answer to what is the right action. Buddhism insists very strongly that there is right action, but it says that we cannot decide what right action is simply by thinking about it. It says that right action is decided just at the moment of acting. Buddhism is learning how to live, a very difficult task taking most of our lives to learn. We will often make mistakes in what we do and in how we treat others and ourselves, but all the important decisions in our lives rest with us alone. In the end, there is no-one to tell us what to do but ourselves. The decision is not a decision in our mind alone, but an intuitive decision in our whole body and mind.   (with thanks for much inspirational thought from this site)