Precept on not stealing

The second of the five precepts is the undertaking to abstain from taking what is not given. In Pali it is adinnādānā veramaṇī. The wording is wider than “do not steal”. It asks you to take only what is freely given to you.

What the precept covers

Taking what is not given includes outright theft, but also fraud, cheating, not repaying debts you could repay, keeping something you found when the owner could be traced, and using someone else’s property without permission. In the modern world it can include copying paid work without permission, misusing an employer’s time or goods, or dodging what you owe.

As with the other precepts, intention matters. Traditional commentaries describe a full breach as involving something that belongs to another, knowing that it does, the intention to take it, the effort, and the actual taking. Picking up a pen by mistake is not stealing; keeping it once you realise may be.

Why it matters

The discourses describe someone who keeps this precept as taking only what is given, expecting only what is given, and living honestly with a clean heart. People can trust them with their belongings and their affairs. This trust is one of the gifts of safety that the precepts offer to others.

Stealing grows from greed and from a sense of lack. Even small thefts reinforce the habit of grabbing. Keeping the precept weakens that habit and brings a quiet contentment with what you have.

The positive side: generosity

The natural companion of this precept is generosity, or dāna. Where stealing takes, generosity gives. Many Buddhists practise giving in small ways every day, offering time, help, food or attention. Giving loosens the grip of craving and is often described as the first step on the Buddhist path.

Keeping the precept

You can start by noticing grey areas in your own life: items borrowed and never returned, small dishonesties at work, rounding things in your own favour. Put right what you can. Be careful with other people’s property, including shared spaces and the natural world. Then look for one small way to give each day.