'dwelling place', is one of the 4 requisites of the monk's life (s. sīla 4).
To be suitable for spiritual training, it should possess 5 advantages.
As it is said (A. X, 11): "But how, o monks, does the dwelling place possess 5 advantages?
Such a dwelling place is not too far, nor too near (to the village), is suitable for going (on almsround) and returning.
In the daytime it is not much crowded, and at night without noise and bustle.
One is not much molested there by gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, sun and creeping things.
While living there, the monk without difficulty obtains robes, almsfood, dwelling, and the necessary medicines.
There are elder monks living there, with great learning, well versed in the Message, masters of the Law (dhamma), of the Discipline (vinaya) and of the Tables of Contents (i.e. either the twofold Abhidhamma Matrix, or the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Pātimokkha; s. pātimokkha). And he approaches them from time to time, questions them, asks them for explanations, etc.