A personal blog by a graying (mostly Anglo with light African-American roots) gay left leaning liberal progressive married college-educated Buddhist Baha'i BBC/NPR-listening Professor Emeritus now following the Dharma in Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Friday, November 8, 2024
Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Living: Abstaining from Taking What is Not Given
RIGHT LIVING Undertaking the Commitment to Abstain from Taking What is Not Given
Taking what is not given is
unhealthy. Refraining from taking what is not given is healthy. (MN 9)
Abandoning the taking of what is not given, one abstains from taking
what is not given; one does not take by way of theft the wealth and
property of others. (MN 41) One practices thus: “Others may take what is
not given, but I will abstain from taking what is not given.” (MN 8)
Reflection
The precept
against stealing is carefully worded and yields a more precise
definition than we are used to. In order for taking something to be
acceptable, it has to be deliberately given by one person or group to
another. This precludes things that we “find,” and repudiates the phrase
“finders keepers.” The effect of this higher standard is that we are
careful to seek permission rather than assuming something belongs to
us.
Daily Practice
Practice being
scrupulous about the matter of giving and taking. Try applying this
higher standard to little things in your life and see if it makes any
difference. Wait for someone to invite you to go first; place lost
objects aside to be reclaimed by their owner; don’t take offense unless
you are sure it was intended as such. There are many ways to practice
this; it is a matter of losing the habit of reflexively putting yourself
first.
Tomorrow: Abandoning Arisen Unhealthy States One week from today: Abstaining from Misbehaving Among Sensual Pleasures
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