BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Buddhism Your Thoughts on Stealing

The second item to avoid in the Dalai Lama's book, after killing is stealing. He's not just talking about walking into a store and putting a CD in your shirt. He's talking about downloading music for free. Not paying back on loans you were given. Leaving work with extra pads of paper.

What type of stealing is there in your life? Do you justify some versions of it?

When I was eight or so I shoplifted a little notepad once and I felt guilty about it ever since (I suppose even until today since I still remember it). That's the only time I've ever done something like that. I feel strongly against stealing music or software since my boyfriend is a musician and I write software. If my dad talks about downloading music for free I cringe and have to resist scolding him for it. You would think by now he knows how strongly I feel about that and not even tell me

This is another heady topic, Lisa, and a good one.

I stole something when I was in high school - a cowl neck angora sweater from Woolworths. Well, I didn't technically steal it, but I did switch price tags so that I could afford it. Like you, I felt so badly about it that I never stole anything again.

But having said that, I feel the same way about stealing as I do about killing. It all depends upon one's intentions when they do it. I feel that repeated stealing will only serve to keep one in a state of self-loathing and denial. It keeps a person in a locked-in state of entitlement and disregard for others.

However, the petty thefts of the common citizen are not the only, nor the worst offenders. It is my feeling that corporations and industries that charge far more money than the actual value of an item or service are just as accountable for acts of grand thievery. Their intentions are not to make a fair profit, but to "steal" as much money as possible, under the guise of "sales." I feel that the collapse we are now experiencing is a loud and wise lesson to learn - for all of us to be wary of what we take from others, and why.

Shay

I haven't read the Dalai Lama's Becoming Enlightened, so not sure of all he includes in his discussion of this, but I did recently read an interesting article by another Buddhist on the second precept (which is the stealing one). Basically, he was interpreting it as any time we put our own desires above the common good, we are stealing. So even something like speeding or weaving in and out of traffic, could be considered a kind of stealing - a potential 'stealing' of others safety (which living in LA, I have to admit to resorting to at times.) Or greed or wastefulness of any type, whether it is an individual needlessly wasting food, or a business engaging in investment or marketing practices solely geared towards profit, without any consideration of the larger consequences.

That's an awesome point - that you put your own needs over the life and safety of others. I would agree with that completely.

I agree with Shay too - that many corporations (and heck many business owners that are small) try to take advantage of people. They feel they can so they do. I would definitely consider that not right.

We just had the BigBrother BigSister people come by today and gave them a big box of stuff so I try as much as I can to give things fairly back into the "stream of life". So I suppose it irks me when I see people taking advantage of others, to try to get more than their fair share. Usually they aren't taking advantage because "my child is starving, skin and bones" either. Usually it's because "I want a new trinket". I need to learn not to let it irk me