Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Sk 78Not Chew Tooth-stick at Base of Stupa

Interpretation of the Sutta: Not Chewing a Tooth-Stick at the Base of a Stupa

Background

This text belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, the legal section containing the basic training rules of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. The Vinaya Piṭaka was compiled from the injunctions established by the Buddha to protect the Sangha, maintain discipline, and help practitioners advance toward liberation.

The content concerning not chewing a tooth-stick at the base of a stupa of the Buddha is one of the detailed rules related to respect for and protection of sacred places. A stupa (stūpa/cetiya) represents the presence of the Buddha-Dharma and is regarded as a sacred place worthy of reverence. These rules reflect an attitude of reverence and careful care toward religious symbols in the Sangha.

Main Content

According to the Theravāda Vinaya Piṭaka, bhikkhus are advised not to chew a tooth-stick, meaning a small stick used for bodily hygiene or brushing the teeth, at the base of a Buddha stupa. The tooth-stick is also called “danta-kāṭha” (tooth-cleaning stick) or “danta-vara.” Chewing a tooth-stick is an ordinary daily habit, but it is regarded as disrespectful when done at sacred places.

The reasons for this rule include: First, the stupa is a focus of faith and reverence for the Buddhist community, a symbol of the Buddha-Dharma. Second, by-products from the tooth-stick, such as saliva and pieces of wood, may soil the sacred place. Third, the act of chewing a tooth-stick has a mundane and somewhat coarse character, unsuitable to the dignity necessary in religious spaces.

This rule is applied strictly to the entire Sangha and is recorded in various sections of the Vinaya Piṭaka. Violations are handled according to their minor degree within the disciplinary system of the Sangha.