What kind of behavior constitutes theft?

Theft means taking what has not been given—taking another's possessions secretly without the owner's consent, or taking them openly and claiming them as one's own; or scheming to trick the owner out of the property; or using words and actions to coerce the owner into giving it up. Stealing is a relatively minor form of theft; more serious are seizing, snatching, and robbing, and among these, open seizing and open snatching are more brazen and domineering than covert ones, and carry heavier karmic offense. In short, using certain means, methods, ways, and channels to appropriate for oneself all things that do not belong to one, without the owner's consent, is called theft.

Moreover, if the owner, for some reason, has no choice but to agree, reluctantly agrees, or agrees only on the surface while inwardly unwilling, this also counts as theft. This consent refers to consent of the mind, not coerced verbal consent. Of course, if the one being stolen from deliberately agrees verbally while inwardly disagreeing, then it does not count as theft; rather, it is oneself being deceived and schemed against.

What is called stealing is taking what has not been given. If others are not willing to give it to you, have not consented to give it to you, and you actively take it away and use it, this is called taking what has not been given. But there is a key point that needs clarifying: sometimes, some people, out of concern for face, agree and consent on the surface level of the mind consciousness, but inwardly the manas is unwilling, and they only agree very reluctantly. In such cases, using their things, occupying their resources, taking away their belongings, and so on—all of these, strictly speaking, fall within the scope of stealing. Only when others voluntarily give, give wholeheartedly and sincerely, is taking and receiving reasonable and lawful. Giving insincerely, giving under coercion, giving out of consideration for face or under pressure—these are not acts of voluntary giving; if you take and receive in such cases, it is in substance taking what has not been given.

Being forced into compliance 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 so on to make the other party have no choice but to agree, when in fact they do not agree and are inwardly grumbling and complaining. Taking things away and occupying resources under such circumstances constitutes stealing. For example, A tells B, "Tonight I'm coming to your house for dinner, 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, has no choice but to 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, but has never paid for the meals or the tea. B is unwilling to make this one-sided expenditure, yet has no alternative. This unwilling expenditure 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 meal be reckoned? In substance, it counts as taking what has not been 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 cases, not only has one stolen the host's time, but one has also caused the host to fail to accomplish their business and thereby suffer losses, and these losses constitute a debt. If the host agrees for you to visit, but you privately bring two more people without the host's consent, this also counts as theft; what is stolen includes not only time, but also the host's authority.

There is also making decisions on others' behalf when matters arise—regardless of whether others agree or are pleased, everything about others' affairs is decided by you. This is stealing others' autonomy; whatever losses they suffer, that is how much you have stolen. Subordinates making decisions for their leaders, children making decisions for their parents, disciples making decisions for their masters, and so on—all of these are acts of stealing; the extent of the loss is the extent 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, one must never force them or put them in a difficult position; only what others willingly consent to should be done. 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, being very courteous. We Chinese do not emphasize this; we emphasize human sentiment and face, social niceties and worldly wisdom, and are not very courteous with one another, lacking a sense of distance and boundaries, unknowingly encroaching on others without any sense of guilt in the mind. All of these are matters of virtue in being a person. A person of virtue always respects others' thoughts, emotions, and feelings, as well as their various rights, and never violates or offends them.