➥ gocara:

• for gocara:
  • pasture
  • hunting ground
  • feeding ground
  • alms resort
  • suitable alms resort
  • sphere of personal application
  • sphere of activity
  • sphere of application
• for gocarāya:
  • searching for food
• gocarāya: pasture; to find some food; hunting ground
• gocaro: hunting ground; alms resort; suitable alms resorts; sphere of personal application
• gocare: feeding ground; sphere of personal application; sphere of activity
• agocare: unsuitable alms resorts
• gocarā: sphere of personal application

Illustration: gocara, pastures; gocara, sphere of personal application

Bhikkhus, possessing eleven factors, a cowherd is incapable of keeping and rearing a herd of cattle. What eleven? Here, a cowherd… is unknowledgeable about pastures.

Ekādasahi bhikkhave aṅgehi samannāgato gopālako abhabbo gogaṇaṁ pariharituṁ phātikattuṁ. Katamehi ekādasahi. Idha bhikkhave gopālako… na gocarakusalo hoti. (AN v 348)

And how is a bhikkhu unknowledgeable about the [proper] sphere of personal application? Here, a bhikkhu does not discern according to reality the [contemplation of the] four bases of mindfulness. It is in this way that a bhikkhu is unknowledgeable about the [proper] sphere of personal application.

Kathañca bhikkhave bhikkhu na gocarakusalo hoti: idha bhikkhave bhikkhu cattāro satipaṭṭhāne yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. (AN v 349)

Come, bhikkhu! Be virtuous. Abide restrained [in conduct] within the constraints of the rules of discipline, and be perfect in conduct and sphere of personal application, seeing danger in the slightest wrongdoing.

ehi tvaṁ bhikkhu sīlavā hohi pātimokkhasaṁvarasaṁvutā viharāhi ācāragocarasampanno aṇumattesu vajjesu bhayadassāvi. (MN iii 2)

Illustration: gocara, sphere of application

Possessed of six qualities, a bhikkhu could destroy the Himalayas, the king of mountain ranges, not to speak of vile ignorance. What six?

Chahi bhikkhave dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu himavantaṁ pabbatarājaṁ padāleyya, ko pana vādo chavāya avijjāya

In this regard a bhikkhu is:

Idha bhikkhave bhikkhū

• proficient in attaining inward collectedness

samādhissa samāpattikusalo hoti

• proficient in maintaining inward collectedness

Samādhissa ṭhitikusalo hoti

• proficient in emerging from inward collectedness

Samādhissa vuṭṭhānakusalo hoti

• proficient in preparing for inward collectedness

Samādhissa kallitakusalo hoti

• knowledgeable about the [proper] sphere of application of inward collectedness

Samādhissa gocarakusalo hoti

• proficient in directing inward collectedness

Samādhissa abhinīhārakusalo hoti. (AN iii 311)

➥ gocarāya: (main article see: gocara)

Illustration: gocarāya, pasture

An unconfined deer in the forest goes where it wishes for pasture

Migo araññamhi yathā abaddho yenicchakaṁ gacchati gocarāya. (Snp 39)

Illustration: gocarāya, to find some food

Then that gentle mouse came out to find some food.

Atha kho bhikkhave mudumūsī gocarāya pakkami. (SN ii 270)

Illustration: gocarāya, hunting ground

Having roared three leonine roars, he sets out for the hunting ground.

Tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ naditvā gocarāya pakkamati. (AN ii 33)

➥ gocaro: (main article see: gocara)

Illustration: gocaro, hunting ground

Sensuous pleasures in this lifetime and in the hereafter, mental images of sensuous pleasures of this lifetime and of the hereafter, both alike are Māra’s realm, Māra’s domain, Māra’s bait, Māra’s hunting ground.

Ye ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmā ye ca samparāyikā kāmā yā ca diṭṭhadhammikā kāmasaññā yā ca samparāyikā kāmasaññā ubhayametaṁ māradheyyaṁ mārassesavisayo marassesanivāpo mārassesagocaro. (MN ii 261-2)

Illustration: gocaro, alms resort

One who was formerly a non-Buddhist ascetic has his alms resort amongst prostitutes, widows, fat girls, eunuchs, or bhikkhunīs.

aññatitthiyapubbo vesiyagocaro vā hoti. Vidhavagocaro vā hoti. Thullakumārikagocaro vā hoti. Paṇḍakagocaro vā hoti. Bhikkhunīgocaro vā hoti. (Vin.1.70)

Illustration: gocaro, suitable alms resorts

An incoming bhikkhu should ask about suitable and unsuitable alms resorts.

Gocaro pucchitabbo agocaro pucchitabbo. (Vin.2.208)

Illustration: gocaro, sphere of personal application

Purified states known through the eye or ear are found in the Perfect One. They are my path [of practice], my sphere of personal application, but I do not regard them as endowed with personal qualities.

ye vodātā cakkhusotaviññeyyā dhammā saṁvijjanti te tathāgatassa etapathohamasmi etagocaro no ca tena tammayo ti. (MN i 319)

Those people whose perceptually obscuring states are destroyed, who are not attached to existential nourishment, whose sphere of personal application is the state of refined awareness that is void [of the perception of personal qualities] and that is focused upon the unabiding [phenomena], their path of practice is as hard to emulate as that of the birds in the sky.

Yassāsavā parikkhīṇā āhāre ca anissito
Suññato animitto ca vimokkho yassa gocaro
Ākāse va sakuntānaṁ padaṁ tassa durannayaṁ. (Dhp 93)

➥ gocare: (main article see: gocara)

Illustration: gocare, feeding ground

Suppose a man caught six animals with different domains and different feeding grounds, and tied them together with a strong rope… Then those six animals would each pull in the direction of its own feeding ground and domain. The snake would pull, thinking, ‘Let me enter an anthill.’ The crocodile would pull, thinking, ‘Let me enter the water.’ The bird would pull, thinking, ‘Let me fly into the sky.’ The dog would pull, thinking, ‘Let me enter a village.’ The jackal would pull, thinking, ‘Let me enter a charnel ground.’ The monkey would pull, thinking, ‘Let me enter a forest.’

Seyyathā pi bhikkhave puriso chappāṇake gahetvā nānāvisaye nānāgocare daḷhāya bandheyya… atha kho te bhikkhave chappāṇakā nānāvisayā nānāgocarā sakaṁ sakaṁ gocaravisayaṁ āviñjeyyuṁ. Ahi āviñjeyya vammikaṁ pavekkhāmī ti suṁsumāro āviñjeyya udakaṁ pavekkhāmī ti pakkhi āviñjeyya ākāsaṁ ḍessāmīti kukkuro āviñjeyya gāmaṁ pavekkhāmī ti sigālo āviñjeyya sīvathikaṁ pavekkhāmī ti makkaṭo āviñjeyya vanaṁ pavekkhāmī ti. (SN iv 198)

Illustration: gocare, sphere of personal application

Keep to your own sphere of personal application, to your ancestral haunts. If you do so, Māra will not get his chance, his opportunity [to attack] you.

Gocare bhikkhave caratha sake pettike visaye. Gocare bhikkhave carataṁ sake pettike visaye na lacchati māro otāraṁ na lacchati māro ārammaṇaṁ

And where is a bhikkhu’s sphere of personal application and ancestral haunt? It is the [contemplation of the] four bases of mindfulness.

ko ca bhikkhave bhikkhuno gocaro sako pettiko visayo yadidaṁ cattāro satipaṭṭhānā. (SN v 147-8)

The wise, recognising this special quality of diligence, rejoice in it, taking delight in the Noble People’s sphere of personal application.

Etaṁ visesato ñatvā appamādamhi paṇḍitā
Appamāde pamodanti ariyānaṁ gocare ratā. (Dhp 22)

Illustration: gocare, sphere of activity

Then consider fish, also, denizens of the deep, beings with water as their sphere of activity.

Tato macche pi jānātha odake vārigocare. (Snp 605)

➥ agocare: (main article see: gocara)

Illustration: agocare, unsuitable alms resorts

In this regard a bhikkhu, properly reflecting, avoids… walking on almsround in such unsuitable alms resorts (yathārūpe agocare carantaṁ), and associating with the sorts of unvirtuous friends that would make his knowledgeable companions in the religious life suspect him of unvirtuous ways of conduct. (MN i 10-11)

➥ gocarā: (main article see: gocara)

Illustration: gocarā, sphere of personal application

Those who have profoundly understood the five aggregates, whose sphere of personal application is the seven good qualities, those spiritually outstanding people are praiseworthy, the Buddha’s spiritual sons.

Pañcakkhandhe pariññāya sattasaddhammagocarā
Pāsaṁsiyā sappurisā puttā buddhassa orasā. (SN iii 83)

Comment:

The seven good qualities: In this regard a bhikkhu has faith [in the perfection of the Perfect One’s enlightenment], shame of wrongdoing, a fear of wrongdoing, is learned, energetic, has mindfulness established, and is blessed with penetrative discernment.

Satta saddhammā: idhāvuso bhikkhu saddho hoti hirīmā hoti ottappī hoti bahussuto hoti āraddhaviriyo hoti upaṭṭhitasati hoti paññavā hoti. (DN iii 252)

What should be his manner of speech? What his sphere of personal application in this world? What should be that resolute bhikkhu’s observances and practices?

Kyāssa vyappathayo assu kyāssassu idha gocarā
Kāni sīlabbatānāssu pahitattassa bhikkhuno. (Snp 961)

➥ gocarāni: (main article see: gocara)

Illustration: gocarāni, spheres of activity

Brahman, these five sense faculties have different domains, different spheres of activity. They do not experience each others’ sphere of activity and domain. What five? The faculties of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

Pañcimāni brāhmaṇa indriyāni nānāvisayāni nānāgocarāni na aññamaññassa gocaravisayaṁ paccanunabhonti. Katamāni pañca: cakkhundriyaṁ sotindriyaṁ ghānindriyaṁ jivhindriyaṁ kāyindriyaṁ. . (SN v 218)