What kinds of actions constitute stealing?

Stealing means taking what is not given—secretly taking someone else's possessions without the owner's consent, or openly taking them and appropriating them as one's own; or scheming to trick the owner out of the item; or using words and actions to coerce the owner into giving it up. Petty theft is the milder form of stealing; the graver forms are seizing, snatching, and robbing, and among these, open seizing and open snatching are more brazen and domineering than covert taking, and carry heavier karmic offense. In short, using any means, method, approach, or channel to appropriate as one's own any dharma that does not belong to oneself, without the owner's consent, is called stealing.

Moreover, if the owner, for some reason, cannot but agree—reluctantly agreeing, appearing to consent on the surface while inwardly unwilling—this also counts as stealing. This "consent" refers to consent of the mind, not verbal consent given under duress. Of course, if the one being "robbed" deliberately gives verbal consent while inwardly disagreeing, then it does not count as stealing; rather, it is the person himself who has been deceived and schemed against.

What is called stealing is taking what is not given. When someone is not willing to give it to you, has not consented to give it to you, and you take it away and occupy it on your own initiative, this is called taking what is not given. But there is a key point that needs clarifying: sometimes, some people, out of concern for face, give surface-level consent and agreement with their conscious mind, but inwardly their manas is unwilling—they have only reluctantly agreed. In such cases, using their things, occupying their resources, taking away their belongings, and so on, strictly speaking, all fall within the category of stealing. Only when others give voluntarily, give wholeheartedly and sincerely, is it legitimate and proper to take and receive. Giving in pretense, giving under coercion, giving out of consideration for face or under pressure—none of these are acts of voluntary giving; if you take and receive under such circumstances, in substance it is taking what is not given.

Being forced by circumstances generally belongs to forcible seizure, though sometimes it may also be taking through disrespect. This "force" generally refers to using power, authority, face, connections, and the like to leave the other party no choice but to agree, when in fact they do not agree and are inwardly resentful and complaining. Taking away things and occupying resources under such circumstances constitutes stealing. For example, A tells B, "I'm coming to your house for dinner tonight, and we'll have a couple of drinks." B is very busy and has no time to accompany A for dinner and drinks, but out of consideration for face, cannot but agree, while inwardly lamenting. After A has eaten the meal, it is equivalent to stealing—stealing B's food and wine, plus B's time. Yet A does not know that by forcibly eating and drinking, forcibly occupying B's time, all of this constitutes stealing.

Another example: A frequently goes to B's place to eat, drink tea, and chat, yet has never paid for the meals or the tea. B, who is the one unilaterally giving, is inwardly unwilling, yet has no alternative. Such unwilling giving causes A to commit the offense of stealing.

A invites B to a meal, but B, without A's consent, privately brings C along. When the meal is finished, how should C's share of the cost be reckoned? In substance, it counts as taking what is not given. Going to someone's home as a guest to chat without the host's consent, occupying the host's precious time and delaying the host's important affairs—in such a case, one has not only misappropriated the host's time but also caused the host to fail to accomplish his business, thereby suffering losses, and these losses are debts. If the host agreed for you to visit, but you privately brought two more people without the host's consent, this also counts as stealing; what is stolen includes not only time but also the host's authority.

There is also the matter of making decisions on others' behalf when situations arise—regardless of whether they agree or are pleased, their affairs are all decided by you. This is misappropriating others' autonomy; the extent of the loss suffered is the extent of what you have stolen. A subordinate making decisions for a leader, a child making decisions for a parent, a disciple making decisions for a master, and so on—all of these are acts of stealing; the magnitude of the loss is the magnitude of what has been stolen, plus the theft of authority.

Everyone needs to repent; domineering people are prone to committing theft. When dealing with others, never force them or put them in a difficult position; only act when others are genuinely willing. Do not go against others' will, and do not deprive others of their autonomy. Foreigners emphasize human rights and uphold the basic rights of self and others; in many matters they will first seek others' consent and are very courteous. We Chinese, however, do not emphasize this; we emphasize human sentiment and face, worldly ways of dealing with people, and are not very courteous with one another, lacking a sense of distance and boundaries—unknowingly encroaching upon others without any sense of guilt in our hearts. All of these are matters of moral conduct in being human. A person of virtue always respects others' psychology, emotions, and feelings, as well as their various rights, and never violates or offends them.