Are there teachings about stealing in Buddhism?

Stealing, or theft, refers to taking without permission. If others do not allow you to study or set conditions requiring payment for learning, then studying without paying constitutes theft. However, the Dharma is always learned freely and without charge. The copyright to the Dharma was never held by Shakyamuni Buddha, let alone by anyone else. All ordinary beings possess no patent or copyright to the Dharma because they have not realized any Dharma themselves—no Dharma belongs to them. Meanwhile, the sages and saints who have realized the Dharma are empty-minded, selfless, and unselfish, seeking neither fame nor profit for themselves, so they certainly hold no copyright. Thus, when it comes to learning the Dharma, there is no concept of theft. The only exception is when studying non-Buddhist teachings or personally invented doctrines—if one studies them privately without meeting the conditions set by others, that constitutes theft.

Regarding the study of precepts, certain requirements exist. This is because beings with insufficient faith might, upon learning the content of the precepts in advance, hesitate to take the precepts out of fear of being unable to uphold them. This would be a loss for their practice of the Dharma. Therefore, when one has no intention of taking the precepts, they may freely study the Dharma but should not casually study the precepts. However, once one resolves to take the precepts, they may then study the relevant precepts. Only by studying and understanding the relevant precepts can one prepare adequately to receive, attain, and uphold them. Buddhism does not require that the study of Vinaya (monastic discipline) occur only after taking the precepts.

The purpose of Buddhism is selflessly and unselfishly serving all beings. There is no rule requiring payment for learning the Dharma. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas teach beings to attain liberation without any selfish motive and without charge. The Dharma they teach has also been passed down from countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, containing no element of personal invention or creation. Therefore, the Dharma holds no patent.

If there were a patent, the Dharma would belong to the first Buddha. King of Majestic Sound Buddha was the first to attain Buddhahood and transmitted the Dharma to future generations up to the present day. Since the first Buddha did not claim a patent, others have even less qualification to claim one. However, during his cultivation, King of Majestic Sound Buddha accumulated immeasurable merit and resources for attaining Buddhahood through teaching beings, ultimately achieving Buddhahood. The merit from this process also belongs in part to the beings he taught, so even King of Majestic Sound Buddha cannot exclusively claim a patent.

When encountering teachings transmitted for a fee, whether online or offline, they are almost never genuine Dharma. We should avoid studying them and refrain from paying fees, so as not to encourage the negative karma and greed of those individuals. Such people lack the Bodhisattva’s mind and conduct, and the teachings they transmit cannot be correct. Therefore, we should not contribute to unhealthy trends.