In MN 125, B.Analayo tries to explain away the missing first jhana, by claiming that one can't do satipatthana and jhana simultaneously.
Yet, from his own published satipatthana studies, it explicitly says you can do jhana and satipatthana simultaneously.
MN 10 parallel in Ekottarika-āgama dhamma anupasssana
(excerpt from Analayo's SP perspectives)
The Ekottarika-āgama account of contemplation of dharmas includes the attainment of the four absorptions in its description of contemplation of dharmas. The instructions present the standard description of the attainment of the four absorptions, each time followed by the suggestion that this would be a form of satipaṭṭhāna practice. The full passage reads as follows:
Again, free from craving for sensual pleasures, removing evil and unwholesome states, with [directed] awareness and [sustained] contemplation, being tranquil and mindful … one enjoys the first absorption and experiences joy in oneself. In this way, [in regard to] dharmas … one contemplates the characteristics of dharmas as a satipaṭṭhāna.
Again, discarding [directed] awareness and [sustained] contem plation, arousing joy within, the mind being unified, without [directed] awareness or [sustained] contemplation, being mindful and tranquil, with joy and at ease … one dwells in the second absorption and experiences joy in oneself. In this way, [in regard] to dharmas … one contemplates the characteristics of dharmas as a satipaṭṭhāna.
Again, mindfully discarding [joy] … one cultivates equanimity in this respect, one constantly knows and experiences pleasant feelings oneself with the body, as sought after by noble ones, with purity of equanimity and mindfulness,1 one engages in the third absorption. In this way, [in regard to] dharmas … one contemplates the characteristics of dharmas as a satipaṭṭhāna.
Again, discarding mental states of pain and pleasure and also being without sadness and joy, without pain and without pleasure, with purity of equanimity and mindfulness … one enjoys the fourth absorption. In this way, [in regard to] dharmas … one contemplates the characteristics of dharmas as a satipaṭṭhāna.
And if that’s not enough to convince you, here’s his translation of the MA parallel, so now we have two other EBT lineages where you can do jhāna while in satipatthana, explicitly saying so in their parallel to MN “the satipatthana sutta”.
MA || MN 10
XIII.2 MADHYAMA-ĀGAMA
THE DISCOURSE ON SATIPAṬṬHĀNA
(this list is frank’s comments comparing differences with MN 10, B.Analayo’s translation follows)
MA version of MN 10
kaya anupassana
posture awareness
sati and sampajano
this part unusual, is one of the 5 methods of stopping thinking in MN 20
again, another method from MN 20
first 4 steps in 16 APS anapana, no simile unlike MN 10
4 jhana similes, not in MN 10, but in MN 119 kayagata
perception of light, not in MN 10 nor MN 119
31 body parts, with simile, same as MN 10
4 elements, and simile, same as MN 10
9 cemetary contemplations
vedana anupassana, quite different than MN 10
citta anupassana essentially identical with MN 10
dhamma anupassana
6 sense bases, nearly identical with MN 10
5niv, hindrances, nearly identical with MN 10
7sb section indentical with MN 10
conclusion
( 4 jhana similes, not in MN 10, but in MN 119 kayagata)
“Again a monk contemplates the body as a body: a monk completely drenches and pervades his body with joy and happiness born of seclusion [experienced in the first absorption], so that there is no part within his body that is not pervaded by joy and happiness born of seclusion.
“It is just as a bath attendant who, having filled a vessel with bathing powder, mixes it with water and kneads it, so that there is no part [of the powder] that is not completely drenched and pervaded with water.
“In the same way a monk completely drenches and pervades his body with joy and happiness born of seclusion, so that there is no part within his body that is not pervaded by joy and happiness born of seclusion.
“In this way a monk contemplates the body as a body internally and contemplates the body as a body externally. He establishes mindfulness in the body and is endowed with knowledge, vision, understanding, and penetration. This is reckoned how a monk contemplates the body as a body.
“Again a monk contemplates the body as a body: a monk completely drenches and pervades his body with joy and happiness born of concentration [experienced in the second absorption], so that there is no part within his body that is not pervaded by joy and happiness born of concentration.
“It is just as a mountain spring that is full and overflowing with clear and clean water, [583a] so that water coming from any of the four directions cannot enter it, with the spring water welling up from the bottom on its own, flowing out and flooding the surroundings, completely drenching every part of the mountain so that there is no part that is not pervaded by it.
“In the same way a monk completely drenches and pervades his body with joy and happiness born of concentration so that there is no part within his body that is not pervaded by joy and happiness born of concentration.
“In this way a monk contemplates the body as a body internally and contemplates the body as a body externally. He establishes mindfulness in the body and is endowed with knowledge, vision, understanding, and penetration. This is reckoned how a monk contemplates the body as a body.
“Again a monk contemplates the body as a body: a monk completely drenches and pervades his body with happiness born of the absence of joy [experienced in the third absorption], so that there is no part within his body that is not pervaded by happiness born of the absence of joy.
“It is just as a blue, red, or white lotus, being born in the water and having come to growth in the water, remains submerged in water, with every part of its roots, stem, flower, and leaves completely drenched and pervaded [by water], so that there is no part that is not pervaded by it.
“In the same way a monk completely drenches and pervades his body with happiness born of the absence of joy so that there is no part within his body that is not pervaded by happiness born of the absence of joy.
“In this way a monk contemplates the body as a body internally and contemplates the body as a body externally. He establishes mindfulness in the body and is endowed with knowledge, vision, understanding, and penetration. This is reckoned how a monk contemplates the body as a body.
“Again a monk contemplates the body as a body: a monk mentally resolves to dwell having accomplished a complete pervasion of his body with mental purity [experienced in the fourth absorption], so that there is no part within his body that is not pervaded by mental purity.
“It is just as a man who covers himself from head to foot with a cloth measuring seven or eight units, so that no part of his body is not covered.
“In the same way a monk completely pervades his body with mental purity [experienced in the fourth absorption], so that there is no part within his body that is not pervaded by mental purity.
“In this way a monk contemplates the body as a body internally and contemplates the body as a body externally. He establishes mindfulness in the body and is endowed with knowledge, vision, understanding, and penetration. This is reckoned how a monk contemplates the body as a body.
(perception of light, not in MN 10 nor MN 119)
“Again a monk contemplates the body as a body: a monk is mindful of the perception of light, properly taking hold of it, properly retaining it, and properly recollecting what he is mindful of, [so that] what is behind is like what is in front, what is in front is like what is behind, night is like day, day is like night, what is above is like what is below, and what is below is like what is above. In this way he cultivates an undistorted and undefiled mind, a mind that is bright and clear, a mind that is not at all obscured by impediments.
“In this way a monk contemplates the body as a body internally and contemplates the body as a body externally. He establishes mindfulness in the body and is endowed with knowledge, vision, understanding, and penetration. This is reckoned how a monk contemplates the body as a body.
(reviewing sign)
“Again a monk contemplates the body as a body: a monk properly holds [in mind] the reviewing sign, recollecting properly what he is mindful of.
“It is just as a person who is seated and contemplates another person who is lying down, [583b] or while lying down contemplates another person who is seated. In the same way a monk properly holds [in mind] the reviewing sign, recollecting properly what he is mindful of.
“In this way a monk contemplates the body as a body internally and contemplates the body as a body externally. He establishes mindfulness in the body and is endowed with knowledge, vision, understanding, and penetration. This is reckoned how a monk contemplates the body as a body.
Even if we restrict our samples to within Theravada, it’s clear and unambiguous satipaṭṭhāna and jhāna are done simultaneously. Just a few examples:
1) Start with the 3rd jhāna formula. Sato ca sampajano: satipaṭṭhāna instructions are explicitly embedded right into the third jhāna.
3) With MN 122 passage in mind, now read MN 119 carefully. It's the same set of exercises as MN 10 satipaṭṭhāna, but instead of the sati refrain after each exercise, it has the samādhi jhāna refrain from MN 122. And in addition to the MN 10 kayanupassana exercises, it adds the 4 jhānas and 4 jhāna similes! Essentially, if you were to plug MN 119 back into kayanupassana of MN 10, you'd get something very similar to the MA parallel to MN 10.
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