[ BuddhaDust Home Page ] [ The Pali Line ] [ DhammaTalk ] [ Sutta Resources ] [ Satipatthana Resources ] [ MulaPariyaya Resources ] [ Sunnata Resources ] [ The Book of Ones ] [ Exercises ] [ One-Liners ] [ Posters ] [ Appendixes ] [ Glossology ] [ Indexes ] [ Bibliography ] [ Files and Download Links ] [ Links ] [ Search BuddhaDust ]

Some sections on this site can only be properly viewed using the MOZPALI Font for the insertion of diacritical marks. If you wish to view these items properly, download this font and install it: [ PC: download here] [Mac: download here]

Anguttara Nikaya III, V, xxi, 208
PTS: The Book of the Gradual Sayings, III: The Book of the Fives: XXI:
Kimila: 208: The Tooth Stick, pp183

Don't Forget to Brush Your Teeth!

(No Nidana)

"Beggars! There are five bad results from not brushing your teeth. ¹
What five?

The vision is unclear.

Bad breath.

Sensativity to the subtlties of taste is impared.

One's food is contaminated by phlegm and mucus.

And the enjoyment of food is diminished.

Indeed, Beggars, these are five bad results from not brushing your teeth.

"Beggars! There are five good results from brushing your teeth.
What five?

The vision is clear.

Sweet breath.

Sensativity to the subtlties of taste.

One's food is not contaminated by phlegm and mucus.

And the enjoyment of food is undiminished.

Indeed, Beggars, these are five bad results from not brushing your teeth.

¹Using a "tooth stick." DANTAKA.T.THASSA DANTA=ivories < dental.KA.T.THA: a piece of wood. As a tooth stick, ususally a piece of a sweet wood such as licorice, about the thickness of a finger and the length of a span (hand, fingers out-stretched, distance from tip of small finger to tip of thumb). The stick is chewed on and used to dislodge food particles that remain after eating.

As retold by Mike Olds

Contact: MikeOlds(at)pacbell.net
Privacy Statement   Copyright Statement   Webmaster's Page

Page Last Updated
Monday, March 24, 2003 12:37 PM