Lzh Dg Bu Pm Sk 78Not Chew Tooth-stick at Base of Stupa
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not chew tooth-stick at base of stupa
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Explanation of the Discourse: Not Chewing a Tooth-Stick at the Base of a Stupa
Background
This discourse belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka in the Theravāda tradition, reflecting the training rules issued by the Buddha for the community of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. The Vinaya Piṭaka is a collection of rules of conduct built on the principle of protecting the stability of the Sangha, avoiding impermissible actions, and guiding monastics toward purity of body, speech, and mind.
The context of this discourse is rooted in specific situations in communal life at monasteries and places of worship. Rules about residence and conduct at sacred places such as stupas reflect reverence for the Buddha and arhats, and protect spiritual spaces from careless actions. The tooth-stick, often neem wood or a similar plant material, was a common hygiene tool in the time of the Buddha-Dharma, but using it at sacred places requires proper decorum.
Main Content
The discourse states that Buddhists, especially monks and nuns, should not chew tooth-sticks at the base of a stupa or in the areas around sacred structures of worship. This rule is not an absolute prohibition against personal hygiene, but a guide concerning dignity and reverence.
The deeper reason for this rule lies in the principle of avoiding defilement or disrespect toward places regarded as sacred ground. When people gather and chew tooth-sticks, saliva, fragments of wood, or stains may appear on the ground. Though these things are small, they violate the humility and reverence that devotees should maintain at such places.
Moreover, the stupa in the Theravāda tradition is a symbol of the Buddha-Dharma, a place where relics or remains of the Buddha and arhats are venerated. Chewing a tooth-stick at the base of a stupa may be regarded as a careless or heedless action at a time when a monastic’s mind should be directed toward calm and reverence.
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