No Shortcuts

  Reading the chapter in Surangama Sutra called "On Stealing", I begin to ponder on the true meaning of theft. I have always tended to associate stealing with taking physical property, as when we hear cases of 'breaking and entering' in the news. But in the Sutra, Buddha was addressing monks and others who are wandering mendicants, and would not normally have property to their names. But the Buddha somehow connects stealing with "the stress of experiencing perceived objects", and shows how refraining from stealing is a basic prerequisite in how people can relate to material things in a wholesome way. It is interesting that, rather than expounding on the causes of stealing, the Buddha addresses more the effects or the specific retribution that goes with stealing:

"The best among them [who steal] will become energy-devouring nature-spirits; those at intermediate levels will be succubae or incubi; and those a the lowest levels will be unwholesome people possessed by such spirits. These unwholesome beings will attract groups of disciples and will tell them that they have realized the supreme enlightenment....Their boasting will delude the ignorant and will instill fear that will rob people of their good judgment." (p.270)

In none of these passages do I get a real sense or emphasis on physical stealing. Rather, I get a strong impression that there is a spiritual aspect of stealing, as when a person abuses power or privilege to mislead other beings. Of particular concern with Buddha is those reborn as 'spirit possessed' people who attract disciples with false claims of enlightenment. Throughout this passage, the Buddha uses the metaphor of theft to describe taking energy that is not one's own and 'robbing' others of their judgment. It's not property theft that is of utmost concern but rather, stealing the time and energy that could be used to cultivate genuine spiritual practice and attitudes.

What characterizes stealing and its retribution, it seems, is the tendency to short-cut the difficulties  of honest self-reflection and try to seize opportunities to influence other people. In a sense, I believe that this is similar to the concept of amour de soi and amour propre that philosopher Rousseau was describing. For Rousseau, only amour de soi is true love, because it is the love that comes from one's authentic feeling, and isn't based on social approval or the need to belong. On the other hand, Rousseau maintains that amour propre is the sense of a more socialized love which is often based on comparing oneself to others. Rousseau claims that this latter kind of love leads to all kinds of competitive tendencies. It can also lead to wanting to do less to gain more, as when people might try to cut corners at work to achieve bigger quantities of output.

It's interesting that the Buddha cautions a life of humility and material dependence, in order to teach monks to let go of their cravings for material things. Hence, it is written in the sutra:

I teach the monks to make their almsrounds in whatever place they find themselves so that they my let go of craving and become enlightened. The monks do not cook for themselves; and leading the rest of their lives this way, they wander from place to place in the three realms so that, at the end of their lives, they will not have to return (p.271)

I think that the Buddha is suggesting that this lifestyle can help monastics not secure so much power for themselves or crave that power. And it's also interesting that after this passage, the Buddha cautions against "thieves who wear a monk's rob for the sake of persona gain" (p.271) The Buddha links the desire for power and personal gain with the tendency to mislead others with false teachings, which then confuses others and leads them astray. I like the way this chapter interweaves the themes of taking for personal gain what is not one's own with deceiving others. To me, this is the much greater harm that comes from desire for personal prestige. It's not so much that a person is taking away power that could be bestowed on qualified people, but more that power in the wrong hands can mislead others, which creates bad karma for both parties. This is why the almsround seemed to be such a powerful practice in Buddha's time to release monks from the desire for independent wealth, as well as teach them the value of accepting gifts with equanimity.

More importantly, the emphasis of this chapter is around using phenomena to go beyond craving. In this way, I am not bound to karmic debts from the past and nor will I create new ones in the future. The Buddha describes some examples of practices that go beyond craving, such as giving to the hungry what is not needed, owning a simple wardrobe, and taking scolding as praise. The true meaning of refraining from stealing is to train oneself not to be addicted to anything to the point where it becomes an impediment to spiritual practice. It's not, as some modern political thinkers might suggest, only to guard private property against intruders! Rather, this warning against stealing ties more into the way people use material goods and spiritual teachings in spiritual ways, rather than as means to personal power and enjoyment.

Surangama Sutra: With Excerpts from the Commentary by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua (2009). Buddhist Text Translation Society