The Greatest and Most Fundamental Theft

Taking anything from heaven, earth, and the myriad things is all stealing; all of it constitutes karmic actions of birth and death, and all of it carries karmic retribution of birth and death—the only difference lies in the relative weight and the wholesome or unwholesome nature of those karmic actions. Whether wholesome or unwholesome, as long as it is a conditioned dharma (saṃskṛta-dharma), it will inevitably summon the suffering of birth and death. Because among heaven, earth, and the myriad things, there is not a single thing that belongs to you—including your physical body and your conscious mind—all of it is stolen from the tathāgatagarbha. Only after completely eliminating self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi) will one no longer violate the precept against stealing; only by not violating the precept against stealing can one attain buddhahood.