On the Crime of Tomb Robbery and Issues Concerning Buddha Offerings

To whom do the items stolen by grave robbers belong? Whose property is being stolen? All items in the tomb belong to the tomb owner, who is the deceased, not the deceased's family. The family has the responsibility and right of guardianship and supervision. All burial objects belong to the deceased because they are gifts presented to the deceased; both in principle and in practice, they belong to the deceased, who is the owner of the items in the tomb. The deceased possesses the mental faculty (manas) and the storehouse consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna), enabling them to own the burial objects, regardless of whether they can use them or whether they cling to them. Until the burial objects decay, no one else is permitted to use them. Unless the tomb owner appears in a dream to entrust someone with instructions on how to use them, taking them constitutes theft, including actions by family members.

Although the deceased's body has perished and lost its function, the deceased remains a sentient being. Their mental faculty and storehouse consciousness do not perish; they can own, protect, and use the burial objects. Even for living beings with bodies, all items are owned and used by the mind-consciousness. The body is utilized by the mind-consciousness, which naturally cares for and cherishes the body. Regardless of the owner's feelings, items forever belong to the owner. Burial objects, irrespective of whether the deceased clings to them or not, forever belong to the deceased. Even if the deceased becomes a ghost, an animal, or a heavenly being, those items still belong to that individual. Others cannot casually take and use them unless they exchange them for something else as a substitute. For example, suppose you buy a set of furniture and place it in your house, then move abroad to settle permanently, not necessarily returning. That furniture and house still belong to you, regardless of whether the items are useful or not. What belongs to whom remains so forever. Regardless of whether the owner is compassionate, generous, or magnanimous, as long as the owner does not grant permission, anyone who uses the items commits theft.

For instance, the Buddha is the supreme, highest, and most revered sage. The Buddha is the most compassionate, generous, and unattached, yet items offered to the Buddha belong to the Buddha. Using them casually constitutes stealing the Buddha's property. Stealing the Buddha's property or the property of the Triple Gem is infinitely more serious than stealing ordinary people's belongings. Moreover, the more virtuous, compassionate, and generous the owner is, the greater the sin of stealing their property. Therefore, one cannot determine guilt based on whether the owner is generous or magnanimous.

The determination of the sin of theft is not made by the Buddha, nor by the Dharma-protecting deities, nor even by the owner, but by the law of cause and effect itself, which is governed by the Tathāgatagarbha. The Buddha does not intervene in relatively significant karmic consequences. For minor results, it depends on the thief's sincerity in repentance, their virtuous roots, and their karmic connection with the Buddha. The Buddha can eliminate some obstacles, Dharma-protecting deities may provide some shielding, but the rest is repaid by cause and effect. Repentance is the most effective method for reducing retribution. By extinguishing the mind of theft and eliminating the root source of the sin, the sin can be partially or entirely eradicated.

From this, it can be understood that items offered to the Buddha by sentient beings belong to the Buddha. The Buddha is the owner of the items; even the person who made the offering cannot casually take and use them, or else it constitutes stealing the Buddha's property. If one wishes to use items after offering them to the Buddha, one must state during the offering: "I offer these items to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. After the Buddha has performed the Buddha's work and enjoyed the essence of the offering, I will retrieve the remaining outer shell for my own use. The parts the Buddha cannot use will be returned to me." After making this declaration, once the incense has burned out, one can remove the offerings. Alternatively, one can exchange them with other items as substitutes for what the Buddha has used.

Since the Buddha enjoys the essence of the offerings, we should understand what constitutes the essence. We must be careful not to touch this part, leaving it for the Buddha; otherwise, it is deceiving the Buddha. Deceiving the Buddha means that since the Buddha inherently smells the fragrance and tastes the flavor, if one smells and tastes the delicious aroma of the offering before the Buddha, then what the Buddha needs is either gone or diminished. Consuming it before the Buddha is disrespectful and does not bring blessings. If the Buddha uses the offered items, sentient beings gain merit. If the Buddha does not use them, sentient beings still gain merit because the sincere mind of offering itself exchanges for blessings. However, the difference in the blessings received is very significant.