Lzh Dg Bu Pm 2 Sk 79Not Chew Tooth-stick Towards Stupa

Sutta on Not Chewing a Tooth-Stick Near a Shrine

Background

The Vinaya Piṭaka records the rules of virtue that the Buddha established for the Sangha after observing unsuitable behaviors. The text “Not Chewing a Tooth-Stick Near a Shrine” belongs among the prohibitions related to respect for sacred places and conduct displayed in the Sangha community.

In the Theravāda tradition, Vinaya rules are not arbitrary restrictions, but principles of communal living that help monastics maintain purity of mind, protect the reputation of the Three Jewels, and respect places regarded by the community as sacred. Shrines or stupas are places of veneration containing ashes or relics of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, or heroes of the Dharma, and are symbols of the Three Jewels.

The act of chewing a tooth-stick, an implement for cleaning the teeth made from wood, near a shrine, though seemingly a small act, reflects a lack of reverence and may cause discomfort to other witnesses, especially faithful laypeople who come to offer incense and pray.

Main Content

According to this Vinaya rule, a monastic should not gnaw, chew, or use a tooth-stick near shrines. This is one of the specific regulations guiding monastics always to maintain an attitude of solemnity, cleanliness, and courtesy at all times and in all places.

This rule arises from the basic principle of the Vinaya: to protect ethics, maintain the reputation of the Sangha, and revere places that the faithful regard as sacred. When chewing a tooth-stick, small pieces of wood or waste may fall, creating an unclean sight. Moreover, this action may appear heedless or merely ordinary breathing and behavior, unsuitable to the bearing of a monastic staying in a sacred place.

In particular, the Vinaya also emphasizes that monastics should choose appropriate times and places to perform personal activities, rather than doing them publicly near places where people gather for worship.