The Phenomenon of Theft in the Three Evil Destinies

Beings in the three evil paths are the poorest among the six paths. Beings in hell, because of extreme suffering, have no way to commit evil karma, and that is why there is no talk of stealing among them. Hungry ghost beings, because they possess supernatural powers, easily give rise to stealing; some devour the vital essence of humans, some attach themselves to human bodies, and use all of a person's livelihood necessities—this is living by stealing life. As for animals, first, they devour one another; second, they depend on humans, either being raised by them or stealing human food. A few kinds of animals live by relying on nature—for example, bees gather flowers to make honey, silkworms eat mulberry leaves, cattle and sheep eat grass—these do not live by stealing. Yet it is precisely these animals that are schemed against by humans; for instance, bees laboriously make honey, only to have it stolen by humans and other animals. Animals generally survive by stealing, robbing, and fighting; their habits have become fixed because, being poor and incapable, they have no other way.

When an animal's evil karma temporarily expires and its merit is sufficient to be reborn as a human, it temporarily becomes a person, yet it carries over the animal's habitual tendency of stealing, without much of a human's habitual tendencies. Therefore most people also steal from one another; because they are accustomed to it, they do not consider it wrong, and even regard it as a matter of course. Evil people do not know they are evil, and the mentally ill do not know they have a mental illness—it is just like this.

People who descend from the heavenly realms are, generally speaking, aloof and proud, noble-minded, generous and fond of giving; they disdain to use other people's things. Their minds have a fastidious purity, and their bodies likewise; they do not engage in the lowly act of stealing.