SN 8.8 "pubbe a-pari-vitakka" (not previously thought of) Vangisa uses vitakka to spontaneously compose poetry

Doing a digital search in all the suttas, this phrase "pubbe a-pari-vitakka" (not previously thought of), only occurs in SN 8.8. (search phrase was 'aparivitakk' to try to catch everything)

The contrast here is between a-pari-vitakka and ṭhānasova taṃ paṭibhantī (spontaneously occurring verse that Vangisa composed)

This is not first jhana context,  but it clearly establishes that speech co-activities/fabrication (vaci-sankhara) as vitakka must mean verbal thought, and not a non-thinking "placing the mind" as B. Sujato tries to redefine vaci-sankhara for Jhana context. 

You can not compose verse with a thought-less 'placing of the mind.' No poetry would result, just incoherent mumbling.

In the rest of Vangisa samyutta, we also learn that Vangisa at one time struggled with lust, and lots of obsessive over thinking, always composing poetry, as had been his passion in lay life. Yet, he attained all four jhanas, not only became an arahant, but an arahant with triple knowledge, and the iddhis. Meaning his samadhi was so strong he could see past lives, had psychic power of being able to read thoughts of other people's minds, also read the subverbal pre-thoughts in other people's minds before they fully became vaci-sankhara verbal thought of communicable language. 

Think about that.

Someone who was a once a compulsive  over thinker,  somehow attained first jhana, which according to Vism. and Ajahn Brahm, is a frozen state of stupor where no thought is possible. 

If Ven. Vangisa had tried to learn first jhana from Ajahn Brahm or Buddhaghosa instead of the Buddha, he very well might have just thrown up his hands and say, "I give up, there's no way someone like me obsessed with thinking about poetry all the time can attain a state of samadhi where no thought occurs. Only one in a million can do that, I'll have to wait for another lifetime"

But instead, he followed the Buddha's instructions on GRADUAL samadhi training, where he first learned to decrease the quantity and intensity of his distracted thoughts, and to replace them with kusala /skillfull thoughts related to the Dharma. Then he was able to attain the Buddha's definition of first jhana, second jhana, ... arhahantship.

SN 8.8 Sutta text link

SN 8.8 4m, Paro-sahassa: over-a-thousand

Vaṅgīsa spontaneously composes poetry to praise Buddha in front of over a thousand monks.

Divāvihārā nikkhamma,	I’ve emerged from my day’s meditation,
satthudassanakamyatā;	out of desire to see the teacher.
Sāvako te mahāvīra,	Great hero, your disciple Vaṅgīsa
pāde vandati vaṅgiso”ti.	bows at your feet.”
“Kiṃ nu te, vaṅgīsa, imā gāthāyo pubbe pari-vitakkitā, udāhu ṭhānasova taṃ paṭibhantī”ti?	“Vaṅgīsa, had you previously [thought of] composed these verses, or did they spontaneously occur to you in the moment?”
“Na kho me, bhante, imā gāthāyo pubbe parivitakkitā, atha kho ṭhānasova maṃ paṭibhantī”ti.	“They spontaneously occurred to me in the moment, sir.”
“Tena hi taṃ, vaṅgīsa, bhiyyoso mattāya pubbe aparivitakkitā gāthāyo paṭibhantū”ti.	“Well then, Vaṅgīsa, speak some more spontaneously inspired verses.”
“Evaṃ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā vaṅgīso bhagavato paṭissutvā bhiyyoso mattāya bhagavantaṃ pubbe aparivitakkitāhi gāthāhi abhitthavi:	“Yes, sir,” replied Vaṅgīsa. Then he extolled the Buddha with some more spontaneously inspired verses, not previously composed:
“Ummaggapathaṃ mārassa abhibhuyya,	“Having overcome Māra’s devious path,
Carasi pabhijja khilāni;	you wander with hard-heartedness dissolved.
Taṃ passatha bandhapamuñcakaraṃ,	See him, the liberator from bonds, unattached,
Asitaṃ bhāgaso pavibhajaṃ.	analyzing the ☸Dharma.