Skip to content
True DhammaLibrary · Community
AN 5.208PTS AN 3.2501 min read

Chew Sticks

Dantakaṭṭhasutta

The five health problems of not cleaning one’s teeth with chew sticks.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.208Numbered Discourses 5.208
  • 0.221. Kimilavagga21. With Kimbila

0.3DantakaṭṭhasuttaChew Sticks

1.1“Pañcime, bhikkhave, ādīnavā dantakaṭṭhassa akhādane.“Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks of not using chew sticks.1.2Katame pañca?What five?1.3Acakkhussaṁ, mukhaṁ duggandhaṁ hoti, rasaharaṇiyo na visujjhanti, pittaṁ semhaṁ bhattaṁ pariyonandhati, bhattamassa nacchādeti.It’s not good for your eyes, you get bad breath, your taste-buds aren’t cleaned, bile and phlegm cover your food, and you lose your appetite.1.4Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ādīnavā dantakaṭṭhassa akhādane.These are the five drawbacks of not using chew sticks.

2.1Pañcime, bhikkhave, ānisaṁsā dantakaṭṭhassa khādane.There are these five benefits of using chew sticks.2.2Katame pañca?What five?2.3Cakkhussaṁ, mukhaṁ na duggandhaṁ hoti, rasaharaṇiyo visujjhanti, pittaṁ semhaṁ bhattaṁ na pariyonandhati, bhattamassa chādeti.It’s good for your eyes, you don’t get bad breath, your taste-buds are cleaned, bile and phlegm don’t cover your food, and food agrees with you.2.4Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ānisaṁsā dantakaṭṭhassa khādane”ti.These are the five benefits of using chew sticks.”

2.5Aṭṭhamaṁ.