The Second Precept

Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to cultivating loving kindness and learning ways to work for the well-being of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I will practice generosity by sharing time, energy, and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.

- 2nd Mindfulness Training by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

     In simple terms 'no stealing' is explained in karmic terms as "you don't get away with anything".  Someone who steals from another person is going to have a karmic 'whammy' sooner or later.  A friend I know once pocketed a chocolate bar from a convenience store &  within 24 hours lost his wallet. In esoteric terms we don't steal because we would be stealing from ourselves.
     Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh has a more detailed description of the 2nd Precept, or moral guidelines, with an 'engaged Buddhist' approach. T.N.H. states that preventing others from profiting from the suffering of humans or other species is an important aspect of this precept. An example would be multi-national oil corporations who buy land in poor countries & end up devastating local communities & eco-systems, or coal companies in the Appalachian mountains which do 'mountain-top' removal & in a few weeks take away a mountain that nature has taken millions of years to create.  Activists who work to stop environmental atrocites
like these are actively practicing this precept. Someone who works to help native people, women, children, workers, or other species are living this precept.
     One way to practice this precept in daily life is to act on every single aspect of generosity that arises in our hearts.  With material things this is a good way to practice 'letting go' or seeing how 'the more you give, the more you get' works.  Of course, parents with young children know that their time & energy is the best gift they can give their kids.
     "Aware of the suffering" is how T.N.H. starts this teaching. We need to be aware, not to close our eyes & hearts, to the myraid levels of suffering on our Planet.  We may not all be able to hop on a plane to Haiti (blessings to those activists!) but we can volunteer for the local food bank(like my Mom) or give some food or old clothes to a homeless person in our local town or city.  It makes our own personal struggles seem a little less important when we do open ourselves to others sufferings.  Namaste.