MN 125 and MA 198 imperturbability developed by 4 jhanas is equivalent to khamo (resilience) of AN 5.113 and AN 5.139

(This article is part of a series: 🔗MN 125 restoration project )

We'll start with looking at MA 198 first, since it gives a more graphic and detailed description than pali MN 125. 

MA 198 (simile: war elephant following trainer’s instructions on how to be imperturbable in battle)

(the samma samadhi -  khamo tie in from AN 5.113 and AN 5.139  is called imperturbability in MN 125 and its parallel)

阿奇舍 那！若彼野象從調象師隨受教者，善調象 師則縛前兩脚、後脚、兩 髀 、兩脇、尾脊、頭額、 耳、牙，及縛其鼻，使人捉鉤，騎其頭上，令眾 多人持刀、楯、矟、鉾、戟、斧、鉞而在前立，善調 象師手執鋒鉾，在野象前而作是語：	"Aciravata, when that forest elephant had obeyed the instructions of the elephant tamer, the good elephant tamer bound his two front feet, his back feet, his two hind parts, his two sides, his tail, his forehead, his ears, his tusks and also his trunk.14 A man holding a goad was made to mount on his neck, and many people were made to stand in front of him holding swords, [10] shields, spears, lances, halberds, hatchets and axes. Holding a sharp halberd in his hand and standing in front of the forest elephant, the good elephant tamer said:
『我今 治汝，令不移動，治汝勿動搖。』	'I will now train you in imperturbability, you must not move!'15
若彼野象從 調象師治不移動時，不舉前脚，亦不動 後脚，兩 髀 、兩脇、尾脊、頭額、耳、牙及鼻皆不動 搖，如是野象隨調象師住不移動。	"When at the time of being trained in imperturbability by the elephant tamer, that forest elephant did not lift his front feet, did not move his back feet, his two hind parts, his two sides, his tail, his forehead, his ears, his tusks or his trunk, not moving any of these, then like this the forest elephant followed the elephant tamer's [instructions] by remaining imperturbable.

(MA 198 lists all four jhanas, MN 125 omits the first jhana)

如是，阿奇舍那！若 聖弟子離欲、離惡不善之法，至得第四禪 成就遊者，如是聖弟子則隨如來住不移 動。

Like this, Aciravata, when the noble disciple dwells secluded from sensual desires, secluded from evil and unwholesome states ... (up to) ... attains and dwells having accomplished the fourth jhāna, then like this the noble disciple has followed the Tathāgata and become established in imperturbability.29

MN 125 (skip first jhāna, go directly to 2nd jhāna, since first jhāna can have thoughts connected to Dhamma)

So vitakkavicārānaṃ vūpasamā ajjhattaṃ sampasādanaṃ cetaso ekodibhāvaṃ avitakkaṃ avicāraṃ samādhijaṃ pītisukhaṃ dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ …	As the directed-thought and evaluation are stilled, they enter and remain in the second jhāna …
tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ …	third jhāna …
catutthaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.	fourth jhāna.

(simile: monk developing 2nd through 4th jhana → elephant tied up so it can’t move while training to be imperturbable to simulated weapons and battle stress) 

(note that this part is not in the original buggy pali MN 125, this here is my restored version of MN 125 with the elephant simile pulled from the first section of MN 125 and selected to match MA 198)
Yato kho, aggivessana, āraññako nāgo hatthidamakassa uṭṭhānanisajjāya vacanakaro hoti ovādappaṭikaro, tamenaṃ hatthidamako uttari āneñjaṃ nāma kāraṇaṃ kāreti, mahantassa phalakaṃ soṇḍāya upanibandhati, tomarahattho ca puriso uparigīvāya nisinno hoti, samantato ca tomarahatthā purisā parivāretvā ṭhitā honti, hatthidamako ca dīghatomarayaṭṭhiṃ gahetvā purato ṭhito hoti.	When the wild elephant stands and sits when the trainer says, following instructions, the trainer sets the task called imperturbability. He fastens a large plank to its trunk; a lancer sits on its neck; other lancers surround it on all sides; and the trainer himself stands in front with a long lance.
So āneñjaṃ kāraṇaṃ kāriyamāno neva purime pāde copeti na pacchime pāde copeti, na purimakāyaṃ copeti na pacchimakāyaṃ copeti, na sīsaṃ copeti, na kaṇṇe copeti, na dante copeti, na naṅguṭṭhaṃ copeti, na soṇḍaṃ copeti.	While practicing this task, it doesn’t budge its fore-feet or hind-feet, its fore-quarters or hind-quarters, its head, ears, tusks, tail, or trunk.

(in the same way, repeat what monk does before elephant simile )

In the same way as the elephant in a static posture simulating the life threatening danger of war, the monk develops the second, third, and fourth jhana.

frankk commentary

1. Notice how the elephant is made to take up a quiet static posture, similar to a monk training to develop 4 jhanas typically goes into a quiet forest space and sits in a static posture.

2. notice how 'imperturbability' in the four jhanas, when compared to the elephant simile, makes it clear that the monk and the elephant aren't going into a frozen stupor (think Vism. and Ajahn Brahm "jhana") and formless attainment where the body disappears and they can't see, can't hear, can't feel swords, weapons, mosquitoes touching them. The imperturbability of a perfected fourth jhana, is about patient endurance (khamo, AN 5.113 and AN 5.139)  in the face of incredibly strong distractions and maintaining one's righteous undistractible lucidity (samma samadhi) in the face of death and deathly threats. 

conclusion:

What happens in the four jhanas, is the culmination of the whole point of MN 125 and MA 198, to take the basic samma samadhi and khamo link of AN 5.113, show it more clearly with the elephant  simile in AN 5.139, and then finally tied all together by showing exactly which part of the war elephant gradual training corresponds with imperturbability of the four jhana training process. 

The trained war elephant has samma samadhi, khamo, and anenja (imperturbability). 

The monk is training in Jhana for war with Mara, trained to be lucid, fearless, skilled in the many weapons of Dharma, ready to deal the death blow to Mara.

Vism. "jhana" is training you how to run away from the defilements by hiding in a frozen samatha stupor where the mind is divorced from the body.