Lzh Dg Bi Vb Sk 80Not Chew Tooth-stick Around Stupa
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not chew tooth-stick around stupa
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COMMENTARY ON THE TEXT CONCERNING NOT CHEWING A TOOTH-STICK AROUND A STUPA
Background
This text is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon, the highest level of disciplinary rules in the Theravāda Buddhist community. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not merely a set of mechanical prohibitions, but an expression of the deep spirit of practice, intended to protect the spiritual life of monks and nuns and build a harmonious community focused on the path.
The origin story of this rule came from a specific event at a monastery. Some monastics had the habit of chewing tooth-sticks, wooden sticks used to clean the teeth and common in ancient India, around sacred stupas where Buddhists gathered to worship. Although this action seemed minor, it caused considerable harm: the crunching sound, broken pieces falling down, the defiling of sacred space, and most importantly, the distraction of those practicing meditation or lighting lamps in veneration.
The Buddha, with sensitivity to matters that appear small but greatly affect the spiritual life, issued a clear rule: monastics must not chew tooth-sticks around stupas.
Main Content
This rule states that monks and nuns should not chew tooth-sticks (daṇḍakasindhava) in the area around a stupa (cetu). The reason is not that chewing a tooth-stick is unwholesome in itself, but because of its context and effect. The stupa, in the Buddhist tradition, is honored as a symbol of bodhicitta, a place gathering the community’s reverence and faith. When a monastic chews a tooth-stick there, it reflects disrespect toward this sacred point and distracts those who are worshiping.
The rule is not intended to control meaningless details, but to train “sati” (mindfulness) and “hiri-ottappa” (moral shame and fear of consequences). It teaches monastics to be aware that every action, however small, has an effect.
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