[917] **What would be his resorts here (kyāssassu idha gocarā):** he asks about the resort (gocara) — endowed with what kind of resort would he be? Of what constitution, of what sort, of what likeness? Thus he asks about the resort. There is what is not a resort (agocara), and there is what is a resort.
What is not a resort? Here a certain one has prostitutes as his resort, or has widows as his resort, or has grown-up spinsters as his resort, or has paṇḍakas as his resort, or has bhikkhunīs as his resort, or has taverns as his resort; he dwells in association with kings, with kings' chief ministers, with sectarians and with disciples of sectarians, in unbecoming association with householders; or else he frequents, cultivates, and attends upon such families as are without faith and without confidence, which are not like a wellspring, which abuse and revile, which desire harm, desire what is unbeneficial, desire discomfort, and desire the absence of security from bondage for bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, laymen, and laywomen — this is called what is not a resort.
Or else, having entered among the houses, having set out along the street, he goes unrestrained: looking at an elephant, looking at a horse, looking at a chariot, looking at a foot soldier, looking at women, looking at men, looking at boys, looking at girls, looking at the shops, looking at house-fronts, looking upward, looking downward, he goes gazing about in the various directions — this too is called what is not a resort.
Or else, having seen a form with the eye, he becomes one who grasps at the sign (nimitta), one who grasps at the features; since, if … while he dwells with the mind faculty unrestrained, evil, unwholesome states of covetousness and grief might flow in upon him, he does not practice for its restraint, he does not guard the mind faculty, he does not undertake restraint of the mind faculty — this too is called what is not a resort.
Or else, just as some honorable ascetics and brahmins, having eaten food given in faith, dwell devoted to watching unedifying shows (visūkadassana) such as these — that is to say: dancing, singing, instrumental music, shows, story-recitations, hand-clapping music, cymbal music (vetāḷa), pot-drum music (kumbhathūna), picture shows (sobhanagaraka), acrobatic feats of caṇḍālas, bamboo-pole feats, washing rites (dhovana), elephant fights, horse fights, buffalo fights, bull fights, goat fights, ram fights, cock fights, quail fights, stick-fighting, fist-fighting, wrestling, sham fights, roll-calls of troops, battle arrays, and reviews of the army — thus they are devoted to watching such unedifying shows: this too is called what is not a resort.
The five cords of sensual pleasure (kāmaguṇā), too, are not a resort. For this was said by the Blessed One: "Bhikkhus, do not range in what is not your resort, in the domain of others. For those who range in what is not their resort, in the domain of others, Māra will gain an opening, Māra will gain an object. And what, bhikkhus, is not a bhikkhu's resort, being the domain of others? It is these five cords of sensual pleasure. What five? Forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable, of a pleasing nature, connected with sensuality, provocative of lust; sounds cognizable by the ear; odors cognizable by the nose; tastes cognizable by the tongue; tangibles cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable, of a pleasing nature, connected with sensuality, provocative of lust — this, bhikkhus, is called what is not a bhikkhu's resort, being the domain of others." This too is called what is not a resort.
What is the resort? Here a bhikkhu does not have prostitutes as his resort, does not have widows as his resort, does not have grown-up spinsters as his resort, does not have paṇḍakas as his resort, does not have bhikkhunīs as his resort, does not have taverns as his resort; he dwells unassociated with kings, with kings' chief ministers, with sectarians and with disciples of sectarians, free from unbecoming association with householders; or else he frequents, cultivates, and attends upon such families as have faith and confidence, which are like a wellspring, aglow with the ochre robe, fanned by the breeze of seers, which desire the good, desire welfare, desire comfort, and desire security from bondage for bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, laymen, and laywomen — this is called the resort.
Or else, a bhikkhu, having entered among the houses, having set out along the street, goes restrained: not looking at an elephant, not looking at a horse, not looking at a chariot, not looking at a foot soldier … he goes without gazing about in the various directions — this too is called the resort.
Or else, having seen a form with the eye, he does not grasp at the sign … he undertakes restraint of the mind faculty — this too is called the resort.
Or else, just as some honorable ascetics and brahmins, having eaten food given in faith, dwell devoted to watching unedifying shows such as these — that is to say: dancing, singing, instrumental music … reviews of the army — thus he is one who abstains from devotion to watching such unedifying shows: this too is called the resort.
The four establishments of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna), too, are the resort. For this was said by the Blessed One: "Range, bhikkhus, in your resort, in your own ancestral domain. For those who range in their resort, in their own ancestral domain, Māra will not gain an opening, Māra will not gain an object. And what, bhikkhus, is a bhikkhu's resort, his own ancestral domain? It is these four establishments of mindfulness. What four? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and grief regarding the world; he dwells contemplating [feelings] in feelings, [mind] in mind, dhammas in dhammas, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and grief regarding the world — this, bhikkhus, is called a bhikkhu's resort, his own ancestral domain." This too is called the resort.
He would be endowed with such a resort — thus, "What would be his resorts here?"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.