The Offense of Stealing from Sentient Beings, The Offense of Stealing from Humans

Original text of the Sūtra on the Precepts for Upāsakas, Section Two:盗无足众生者。蛭虫于投罗虫等。人取举着器中。居士从器中取者。犯不可悔。选择如上。盗二足三足众生者。人及鹅雁。鹦鹉鸟等。是诸鸟在笼樊中。若盗心取者。犯不可悔。余如上说。

Explanation: One who steals legless sentient beings, such as stealing leeches, yutuluo worms, and the like—if someone catches them and places them in a vessel, and the upāsaka takes them from the vessel, he commits an unredeemable offense. Selecting legless sentient beings from the vessel is as stated above: if one selects them but does not take them away, it is a redeemable offense; if one takes them away, it is an unredeemable offense. Stealing two-legged or three-legged sentient beings, such as humans as well as geese, wild geese, parrots, and other birds—these birds being in cages—if one takes them with a thieving mind, one commits an unredeemable offense; the rest is as stated above.

 Original text:盗人有二种。一者担去。二者共期。若居士以盗心。担人着肩上。人两足离地。犯不可悔。若共期行。过二叟步。犯不可悔。余皆如上说。

Explanation: There are two situations in stealing human beings: one is carrying them away on one's shoulder; the other is coercing them to walk along together. If one carries a person on one's shoulders and the person's two feet leave the ground, one commits an unredeemable offense. If one coerces the person to walk along together and goes beyond two double-steps, one commits an unredeemable offense. The remaining situations are as stated above.

 Original text:盗四足者。象马牛羊也。人以绳系着一处。以盗心牵。将过四叟步。犯不可悔。若在一处卧。以盗心驱起。过四叟步。犯不可悔。多足亦同。

Explanation: Stealing four-legged sentient beings, such as stealing elephants, horses, cattle, and sheep—if the owner has tied the sentient being in a place with a rope, and the upāsaka, with a thieving mind, leads it away, moving it a distance of four double-steps (the number of steps of a four-legged being), he commits an unredeemable offense. If the four-legged sentient being is lying in a place, and the upāsaka, with a thieving mind, drives it up and makes it move four double-steps, he commits an unredeemable offense. The situation for beings with more than four legs is the same.

Original text:若在墙壁篱障内。以盗心驱出过群。四叟步者。犯不可悔。余如上说。若在外放之。居士以盗心念。若放牧人入林去时。我当盗取。发念之机。犯中可悔。若杀者。自同杀罪。杀已取五钱肉。犯不可悔。

Explanation: If the four-legged sentient beings are within walls or fenced barriers, and the upāsaka, with a thieving mind, drives them out of the enclosure beyond four double-steps, he commits an unredeemable offense. The remaining situations are as stated above.

If the four-legged sentient beings are set loose in the open field, and the upāsaka thinks with a thieving mind: "When the herdsman goes into the forest, I will steal them"—at the moment this thought arises, he commits a moderately redeemable offense. If he kills these sentient beings, it is naturally the same as the offense of killing. If, after killing them, he obtains meat worth five coins, he commits an unredeemable offense of stealing.