I found something today

tbunton

while I was at school today I used a public computer in the commons. When I went to log off I found a 4gb flash drive still stuck in the tower. My practice has led me to relize that taking what isnt mine will cause suffering to me and to the other person. I KNOW THIS! But a part of me still wants to keep the flash drive. After all, Im a college kid on a limited income, and a 4g flash drive could come in handy. I know the simple answer is to turn it into lost and found, and forget about it. I will know I did the right thing and less negitive energy will be let loose into the universe. I know I would be pretty upset if my mass storage device was lost. But on the other hand I cant help but want to keep it. Any advise? To further complicate things, my dog found it and decided to chew on it. It still works. but it has teeth marks all over it.

Why do I feel the need to keep it if I know it is wrong????

Dandelion

Hi @tbunton

Another way to look at this is, what if you had never found it? You wouldn't be having this specific dilemma; you wouldn't be wanting this item as much, perhaps? I think you will regret taking what is not yours, yet if you hand it in this incident is done with. It won't be done with if you keep it as you're clearly feel guilty, and that alone is 'suffering'. I wouldn't worry about the teeth marks, perhaps you can find a way to hand it in anonymously anyway? It is less inconvenient for you to hand it in as you never purchased the item in the first place, but it is probably causing the person it belongs to, and has paid for it, a lot of inconvenience.

Best wishes,
Dandelion

tbunton

Yeah, It had alot of school papers on it. I didnt go through it but I did glance on it. I turned it into lost and found a min ago. I know if it were me I would hope that someone would be honest and do the right thing. Our purpese in our path is to cause as little suffering as possible using the 4NT and 8FP as a guide. I hope that the drive finds its way to its owner, and I wish them luck this semester.

Dandelion

Good for you @tbunton

vixthenomad

@tbunton - the temptation was there and you overcame it. In a way, that's more commendable than never having had the temptation in the first place. Without meaning to sound condescending (whilst sounding it anyway), I'm proud of you.

DaltheJigsaw

Yeah, It had alot of school papers on it. I didnt go through it but I did glance on it. I turned it into lost and found a min ago. I know if it were me I would hope that someone would be honest and do the right thing. Our purpese in our path is to cause as little suffering as possible using the 4NT and 8FP as a guide. I hope that the drive finds its way to its owner, and I wish them luck this semester.

Great decision and I believe the best! Good for you!

tbunton

Thanks guys. You can not go wrong doing the right thing.

Cinorjer

Think how happy you would be, if you had lost something like this and someone actually was honest enough not to just keep it. A flashdrive costs under ten dollars in some places. The papers might be irreplacable to the owner but certainly worthless to you.

Good for you.

Dakini

Excellent point, Cinorjer: the documents stored there could be priceless to the owner; maybe he was in the middle of writing a term paper, and if you don't return the item, he'll have to start over again, and will miss his deadline, and get a bad grade?

Think how happy and relieved you would be if someone found your wallet and returned it, not only with your ID still in it, but with the $100 in it that you were given for your birthday. Honesty is its own reward. What goes around comes around, and that goes for the good stuff as well as the bad stuff.

Mountains

Thanks guys. You can not go wrong doing the right thing.

Bingo!