THE ANUD¢PAN¢
in eating, strives to be always wakeful, possesses mindfulness with full comprehension, he
wants little, he is easily contented, he is strenuous in the practice of wholesome Dhamma,
observes with meticulous care the
AbhisamÈcÈrika-sÊla
described above. This is called
proper conduct (ŒcÈra).
Gocara
(Proper Resort)
Gocara is of three kinds: Upanissaya Gocara, the resort that serves as a powerful support
for one's moral developments; Œrakkha Gocara, the resort that serves as a guardian of the
mind, and Upanibandha Gocara, the resort that serves as an anchor of the mind.
A good friend who always uses the ten kinds of right speech conducive to liberation from
saÑsÈra
is called Upanissaya Gocara. By depending upon such a friend, he hears the
Dhamma which is unheard of before, dispels doubts. rectifies his views, gains clearness of
mind. In addition to these benefits, he grows in faith, morality, learning, generosity and
wisdom. Hence that good friend is the Upanissaya Gocara, the powerful support for
developing wholesome qualities, such as morality, etc.
The ten kinds of speech conducive to liberation:
(1) appiccha kathÈ -
speech about wanting little
(2) santutthi kathÈ -
speech about contentment with
what one has in hand
(3) paviveka kathÈ -
speech about living in solitude
(4) asamsagga kathÈ -
speech about living in seclusion
(5) viriyÈrambha kathÈ -
speech about making effort
(6) sÊla kathÈ
-
speech about morality
(7) samÈdhi kathÈ -
speech about concentration of
the mind
(8) paÒÒÈ kathÈ
-
speech about VipassanÈ Insight
and the knowledge of the Paths
(9) vimutti kathÈ -
speech about the Fruition States
(liberation)
(10) vimuttiÒÈnadassana kathÈ -
speech about the
PaccavekhanÈ
ÒÈÓa
(Reflective Knowledge of
the Path and Fruition)
In brief, the person who uses ten kinds of speech relating to liberation from the suffering
of
saÑsÈra
bringing thus five advantages such as hearing the Dhamma unheard of before,
etc. The good friend, who can make others progress in five attributes, such as faith,
morality, learning, generosity, and wisdom, is called Upanissaya Gocara, the resort which
provides the strong sufficing condition for the development of wholesome qualities, such
as morality, etc.
Mindfulness (
sati
) that guards the mind is called Œrakkha Gocara. (‘
Œrakkha
’ - that
guards the mind; ‘
Gocara
’ -
Sati
, mindfulness.) (A
bhikkhu
, who takes resort in
mindfulness, goes for alms round into the village and town with downcast eyes, seeing at
the length of a plough yoke in front of him, and guarding his sense faculties. He goes on
without looking at the troops of elephants, or troops of horses., or troops of chariots, or
infantry soldiers, or at women or men. He does not look up or down, or towards any of the
eight directions and keeps going. A bhikkhu who does not take resort in mindfulness,
Œrakkha Gocara, when going round for alms food in the village and town, looks this way
and that way, everywhere, like a crow kept in a covered basket.) Hence, mindfulness is the
resort that protects the mind of the
bhikkhu
from the danger of evil thoughts.