Offense of Stealing Property of the Ten-Direction Sangha

If in a monastery, regardless of whether the monastery has use for it, lay devotees should never take or remove any item without permission. Because all belongings within the monastery are the property of the Sangha of the Ten Directions, including monks from worlds beyond the Saha World. Monks from the worlds of the Ten Directions all have the right to use them. If you personally take them, you are stealing the belongings of monastics from the worlds of the Ten Directions. This debt fundamentally cannot be repaid. This offense constitutes hellish karma, even the karma of the Avici Hell.

The offerings of the Ten Directions are the offerings from beings centered around the Saha World in ten directions. The Ten Directions are east, south, west, north, above, below, southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest. The property of the Sangha of the Ten Directions belongs to the monastics of the worlds in these ten directions. Worlds vary in size. Large worlds refer to the Buddha-lands in the ten directions surrounding the Saha World. Small worlds refer to the small worlds in the ten directions within the Saha World. A small world in the Saha World includes the Four Great Continents, the Four Great Oceans, the Seven Golden Mountains, the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Yāma Heaven, the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven, and the First Dhyāna Heaven. One thousand small worlds form a small chiliocosm. One thousand small chiliocosms form a medium chiliocosm. One thousand medium chiliocosms form a great chiliocosm.

Anyone who commits this offense must sincerely and earnestly repent before the Buddha until auspicious signs appear. Only then can the offense of stealing the Three Jewels' property be eradicated. For example: the Buddha comes to touch your head and comfort you, telling you the offense has been eradicated; or you see lotuses blooming; or you smell a fragrance in the air; or in a dream, Buddhas or Bodhisattvas appear to bestow blessings—such auspicious visions indicate the appearance of auspicious signs. Otherwise, this offense remains, and upon death, one will fall into hell to receive retribution.

Intentionally or unintentionally wasting monastery property means wasting and depleting the property of the Sangha of the Ten Directions. This offense is also significant, incurring a debt to the Sangha of the Ten Directions that is difficult to repay. Therefore, everyone in the monastery should be frugal and avoid waste. Damaged items must be compensated for immediately. If delayed, compensation must be doubled or multiplied. The Vinaya states that if someone commits an offense without repenting, after one night, the offense doubles; after two nights, it doubles again, becoming fourfold. The same applies to debts owed to the Three Jewels—they double overnight. Anyone who has ever privately taken any item from the monastery, or damaged property, or wasted resources—including water, electricity, gas, and the like—must find a way to make amends and compensate. For acts of theft, not only must compensation be made, but one must also earnestly repent daily, striving to witness auspicious signs. To eliminate evil karma and avoid or minimize suffering from evil retribution, one must repent and make amends, including financial and material compensation.

Some lay devotees, upon visiting a monastery, enjoy acting as if they are in charge for the monastics, regardless of whether the monastics are willing or permit it. They seize all authority, making decisions arbitrarily as if in their own home, not only managing affairs but also controlling finances and even people. Depriving monastics of their rights constitutes an extremely grave offense, and whether it can be purified through repentance is uncertain. Some people, upon entering a monastery, even attempt to manage the monastics themselves, dictating what monastics should or should not do, directing them to carry out tasks they arrange to satisfy their own greed and desire for control—subordinates overstepping superiors, showing contempt for the Three Jewels and their dignity. Monastics are not subject to the management or command of any layperson. Only the monastic's own teacher has the authority to manage and educate them, as well as the abbot and monastic administrators of the monastery they reside in.

The monastic community primarily receives education and management from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Ten Directions. Even local deities and other Dharma-protecting spirits lack the qualification and authority, because monastics are directly disciples of the Buddha, not disciples of Dharma-protecting spirits. Monastics may only pay homage to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, not to Dharma-protecting spirits. Therefore, if a layperson's desire for authority is too strong, they should strive to restrain themselves. If truly unable to restrain themselves, they should stay away from monasteries and the monastic community to avoid creating hellish karma and suffering hellish torment.

There are also some laypeople who enjoy wearing monastic robes and using monastic names. Others like to impersonate monastics to receive reverence and various offerings—this is the greatest theft among thefts. Some lay devotees insist on claiming they are also part of the Three Jewels and deserve the same treatment as the Three Jewels. This is an act of infringing upon the reputation and dignity of the Three Jewels, with extremely adverse effects. It constitutes great greed and great theft, beyond the scope of repentance. Repentance is of little use; they will still end up reporting to hell.