first 3 jhānas and simile of a beach, a post of mine from 2017 comes up as first google search for "vitakka and vicara in first jhana"

 

frankk post on suttacentral forum Aug 2017

https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/the-role-of-vitakka-and-vicara-in-the-1st-jhana/6232/3

@alaber wrote: 

This is the first time I found someone telling when the jhana one kneading is supposed to be done:

 i.e. while in jhana one, not before entering jhana one as I was thinking.

@Frankk response:

This is probably due largely to the influence of Vism.  in the west.

 They redefined V&V (from directed thinking and evaluation to mind glued to a visual image), redefined kāya (from anatomical body to body of only mental aggregates), 

 redefined sukha vedana in the jhānas 

 (from primarily bodily pleasant feeling to pure mental pleasant feeling), 

 crippled S&S (sati & sampajano) from its natural range of activity, 

 and removed any meaningful distinction between rupa and arupa in Jhāna.

 When you redefine jhāna and all of it’s major components in this way, 

 it is a completely different animal.

Had Vism. not been so influential, I highly doubt Ajahn Brahm’s redefinition of jhāna would have caught on.

 But such is state of things right now, 

 that when people come across Ven. Thanissaro’s or Bhante Gunaratana’s explanation of Jhana that conforms to the EBT, 

 people are surprised and confused by how it doesn’t match the jhāna (redefinition) that they learned.

V&V means directed thinking and evaluation/pondering in the EBT.

 What makes it jhāna and not just plain S&S (mindfulness and alertness) 

 is that one has learned to relax the body and mind to the point 

 that the juice of pīti and sukha can surge through the body causing euphoric sensations and feelings.

 V&V is restricted to kusala thoughts, 

 and the thoughts not so frequent and intense as to prevent body and mind from completely relaxing and allowing the juice to surge. (MN 19)

 First jhana is like you’re at the beach, 

 edge of the water where you stay connected to the water, 

 but your entire body is not fully immersed in the water continuously.

 It’s like you continually go down and come right back up for air.

2nd jhana is like you stay under water but, 

near the surface so the piti sukha comes in waves of varying intensity in force, 

but the body feels continuously fully immersed in the pitisukha.

3rd jhana you dive deep enough under the ocean to where the water is very still and calm.