Does Stealing One's Own Past-Life Belongings Constitute Theft?

Question: Suppose a person passes away and is reborn as a human again. By chance, he digs open the grave of his own previous life. Due to the mystery of the intermediate state (the veil between lives), he does not know that this grave is his own from a previous life. If he takes away the burial objects, does this count as the owner's permission? If not, does this constitute theft?

Answer: If the owner has not changed and is still the same person, it does not count as theft. It is like moving something from one's left hand to one's right hand, or putting a necklace from one's neck into one's handbag. Although this person steals objects belonging to his own previous life, the act still carries the attribute of stealing, because there is a thieving mind. All karmic acts of merit and demerit are centered on the mind; without the mind, there is no merit or demerit. However, since this person steals his own property and does not harm others, the objects have not been transferred from another person to himself, and the owner has not changed, the karma of stealing is not fully established and accomplished—the theft has not succeeded—so the offense is minor.

Someone clearly goes to another person's home to steal a certain item, but after rummaging through everything, he cannot find that item. Although there is a thieving mind and thieving action, the offense of stealing is not accomplished. Or, just as he is about to take the item away, the owner returns, so he has to abandon the item and flee; the act of stealing is abandoned halfway through, and the offense of stealing is not accomplished. These examples show that when the thieving mind exists but the karma of stealing is not fully established and the objects have not been transferred, no conviction can be made; the punishment will be light, and the retribution will be light.