Lzh Mi Bu Pm Pj 2Theft
Pāli / Sanskrit:Adinnādāna
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Discourse on Taking What Is Not Given (Adinnādāna)
Background
The Adinnādāna Sutta, taking what has not been given, is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, specifically in the Pātimokkha, the basic code of discipline for the Buddhist Sangha of monks and nuns in the Theravāda tradition. This is one of the wrongful acts that must not be committed, included among the Five Precepts that all serious Buddhists should observe.
In the context of the Vinaya Piṭaka, this text appears when the Buddha clearly teaches the principle of not taking what has not been permitted. This is not merely a prohibition, but a profound principle concerning respect for the ownership, property, and independence of others. In the context of the Buddha’s teaching, the practice of discipline is understood as the foundation for spiritual development.
Main Content
Adinnādāna refers to the act of taking what the owner has not permitted. This includes not only material property, but anything over which another person has a right of ownership or control. This wrongful act is divided into different levels depending on the value of the item taken, the character of the action, and the intention of the one who commits it.
According to the traditional Vinaya Piṭaka, the act of Adinnādāna is fully constituted when three specific factors are fulfilled: first, the object is the property of another; second, the actor clearly knows that it is the property of another; third, the actor intends to take it without permission. Intention (cetanā) is the most decisive factor in determining the nature of the offense.
The text teaches that this action violates one of the most important pillars of ethics: sīla, moral discipline. The practice of Adinnādāna not only directly harms the person who loses property, but also defiles the mind of the one who acts, creating seeds of ignorance and greed (lobha) in the mind.
Practical Meaning
The discipline of Adinnādāna has not only legal meaning but is also a profound spiritual practice. Practicing not taking what is not given helps train respect, kindness, and awareness of what is right.
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