Lzh Dg Bi Vb Sk 78Not Chew Tooth-stick at Base of Stupa
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not chew tooth-stick at base of stupa
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Commentary on the Text: Not Chewing a Tooth-stick at the Base of a Stupa
Background
This text is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Bhikkhu Vibhaṅga, the section that details the training rules for bhikkhus. It is one of the regulations governing daily monastic life in Theravāda Buddhism, reflecting wakefulness and mindfulness in every action of a practitioner.
The historical context of this rule arose from specific events at a vihāra, a monastery. When Gotama Buddha learned that bhikkhus were behaving in ways inappropriate to the pure life, he established rules of training (sikkhāpada) to regulate conduct, protect the honor of the Sangha, and nurture compassion and purity.
Chewing a tooth-stick (dantakātha) at the base of a stupa may seem harmless, but it carries deep implications concerning reverence for the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) and the attitude of a rightly directed mind in religious life. The stupa is a sacred symbol, a place for recollecting the Buddha or the arahants. Therefore, even this seemingly small action must accord with principles of reverence and purity.
Main Content
The specific rule is: bhikkhus must not chew a tooth-stick (dantakātha) at the base of a stupa. A tooth-stick is an implement for oral hygiene widely used in the Buddhist tradition and in the cultures of ancient India. Chewing this stick is a natural part of its use, but it leaves traces and oral waste at a sacred place.
Chewing at the base of a stupa may cause defilement materially and spiritually. In practical terms, it may dirty the stupa area; symbolically, it shows disrespect toward a sacred place of worship. The Vinaya Piṭaka requires bhikkhus to make a clear distinction between sacred and non-sacred places, between pure and impure actions.
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