What Is Theft?

Among Buddhists, how many can strictly uphold the five precepts without violating them in the slightest and thus receive a full score? How many, with minor lapses in the five precepts, can receive eighty points? How many, upholding most of the five precepts, can receive sixty points? Probably very few. As for the precept against false speech, I estimate that hardly anyone can keep it—or perhaps not even a single person. Therefore, people are not completely honest and cannot be fully trusted.

Does everyone completely refrain from killing? As for stealing, also called taking what has not been given—if others have not nodded in agreement and you take it yourself, that is stealing. What does not belong to you, yet you regard in your mind as your own, is stealing. This includes people: if someone is not your own spouse and you give rise to improper thoughts about them, that too is stealing. When one's thoughts are not proper and one's intentions are not genuine or wholesome, all of this falls under the category of "improper." Eating or drinking others' food and drink at will without their consent—all of this is stealing. Many people act very casually, following their own whims, heedless and inconsiderate. Some even use schemes to force others into having no choice but to agree; when the others agree verbally but disagree in their hearts, it still counts as stealing. Stealing also includes reputation—deceiving to gain fame, deceiving to gain status and power—all of these are stealing.

People always like to chase after conditions, acting selfishly for personal gain; they do not accord with conditions, do not guard their minds, are not kind and honest, and greedily crave much. As a result, they commit violations of the precepts, their minds become scattered and distracted, and they cannot attain meditative concentration (samādhi). And how many people have not received the five precepts and do not even wish to receive them—not even wanting to take the precepts or keep them—yet still want deep meditative concentration and wisdom? That is impossible; and to fantasize about realizing the fruits or attaining enlightenment is even more impossible.