AN 5.179: 4 recollections are the vitakka (verbal linguistic thinking) of first jhāna

Ven. sabbamitta wrote on sutta central:

https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/are-the-topics-for-recollection-just-recollections/32184

I remember that Bhante @sujato—I don’t remember in which thread—mentioned something along the lines that usually laypeople are taught just the topics for recollection like those on the Triple Gem etc. And I was wondering about the word “just”.

Especially when reading AN 5.179, I doubt that these recollections are just such a simple practice. There, they are called “blissful meditations in the present life belonging to the higher mind”—a phrase normally used for the jhānas.

Does that mean that the recollections are here equated to the jhānas, or does it at least mean that they, when well developed and perfected, lead into jhāna?

I am also curious what Venerables @Sunyo and @Vaddha think about this. (I often enjoy reading your discussions, and just would like to thank you here for these! :heart:)

 

frankk responds (on my blog, I'm not a member on sutta central)

Interesting to note even though B. Sujato was tagged by Ven. Sabbamitta (meaning Sujato was notified electronically to respond to the discussion), 

he did not respond, even though he can be seen to be responding to other threads on the same time period elsewhere in the forum.

Why?

Because Sujato continues to steadfastly cling to his erroneous views of vitakka on first jhāna being "placing the mind" 

even when members on his own forum present him with evidence showing that vitakka of first jhāna in the EBT explicitly are explained as having verbal, linguistic thoughts, communicable language,

 thoughts you say to yourself in your mind before you speak them out loud (vacī sankhāra are vitakka). 

Tangent: brief summary of  LBT (late buddhist) redefinition of jhāna

This is fundamental to all oral traditions.

Sati memorizes Dhamma scripture, in the form of communicable language (vitakka).

This is true in EBT (early Buddhism), 

true of Jainism (pre Buddhist) definition of their sati, dhyāna (jhāna) and their vitakka,

true of other contemporary and later Brahmanical non Buddhist traditions,

true in Early Abhidhamma (see Ab Vb and Vimuttimagga).

Only 500 years later after the Buddha's death, in LBT Theravada redefinition of jhāna in Visuddhimagga, based on non canonical Abhidhamma commentary,

they redefine body (kāya) in jhāna as not physical body, but a mental body.

they redefine verbal thinking (vitakka), as not verbal thinking, but mounting the mind on a visual kasina where no discernment or volitional thought is possible. 

they redefine physical pleasure felt in the body as mental pleasure devoid of physical pleasure.

They redefine physical form (rūpa) as the mentally created visual kasina, not the 31 anatomical body parts as EBT understands it. 

Back to Ven. Sabbamitta's question

In her thread, She, Ven. Sunyo and others not surprisingly conclude the 4 recollections are not first jhāna, not vitakka of first jhāna doing the recollection.

Perhaps if they survey a few more related suttas, they'll come to more sensible conclusion.

Clue #1: AN 5.176, just 3 suttas ago from AN 5.179, 

we're dealing with the same Anathapindika and 500 lay followers. In there, Sariputta is unmistakably glossing first jhāna. 

Even Theravada commentary confirms that Pīti of AN 5.179  is referring to first and second jhāna.

So in AN 5.176, Buddha is telling the 501 lay followers they should not be content in making merit donating requisites to the sangha, that they should practice first jhāna.

Clue #2: even though AN 5.179 doesn't mention vitakka explicitly

In AN 5.179, the same 501 lay followers, following Buddha's advice, 

now most of them if not all of them are strongly hinted to be stream enterers.

How did they get there? By using vitakka of first jhāna doing the 4 recollections.

Elsewhere, probably every other occurrence of the 80+ sutta references using the term
ābhicetasikānaṃ. refer to four jhānas.

Here, what's strongly implied is that most of those 500 followers can only do first jhāna, since they rely on vitakka (verbal thinking) to do the 4 recollections. Those who can not pacify (passaddhi sambojjhanga) verbal thoughts can not rise to 2nd jhāna and above.

Clue #3: AN 6.10 has 6 recollections (first 4 are same as the 4 of AN 5.179) 

 and covers the same territory, also dealing with lay people doing first jhāna, and it's more explicit there by listing the 7 awakening factors.

My annotated translations, with copious specific links to the exact scene of the crime, confirms everything I've asserted. 

Clue #4: AN 5.26 are monastics instead of followers doing all four jhānas

They're using the same vitakka of first jhāna, but instead of thinking about 4 recollections, they are contemplating meaning of Dharma, and also not limited to verbal thoughts of first jhāna, they move on to subverbal mental processing that takes them to second jhāna and beyond.

conclusion

So, contrary to Sujato and Ven. Sabbamitta, who hold the view that vitakka of first jhāna  is "placing the mind" (on a visual kasina), and that the four recollections are topics of mindfulness that one uses to enter samādhi (but are not properly considered part of four jhānas),

if you actually read the Buddha's words you'll find the Buddha was a plain speaker and

used his terms consistently.

Vitakka in all Indian oral traditions is what sati memorize and mentally speak in their mind before speaking it out loud,

and vitakka in first jhāna mentally reciting and reflecting on the four recollections is that very same vitakka & vicāra.

5.179 - AN 5.179 Gihi: A Layperson

(2023 SP-FLUENT translation by frankk‍ derived from B. Sujato‍ )
(AN ^5.179 is a sequel to AN ^5.176)
    AN ^5.179 - AN 5.179 Gihi: A Layperson
        AN ^5.179.0 - (Buddha tells Sāriputta which lay people are qualified as stream enterers)
        AN ^5.179.1 - (five training rules by which his actions are restrained)
        AN ^5.179.2 - (pleasant abiding #1: confidence in the Buddha )
        AN ^5.179.3 - (pleasant abiding #2: confidence in the Dharma )
        AN ^5.179.4 - (pleasant abiding #3: confidence in the Sangha )
        AN ^5.179.5 - (pleasant abiding #4: possess ethics valued by Noble ones)

5.176 - AN 5.176 Pīti: Rapture

(2023 SP-FLUENT translation by frankk‍ derived from B. Sujato‍ )

        AN ^5.176.1 - (Buddha tells Anāthapiṇḍika and 500 lay followers not to be content with just merit of donating requisites to sangha)
        AN ^5.176.2 - (They should develop first jhāna)
        AN ^5.176.3 - (Sariputta explains first jhāna formula’s vivekajam pīti-sukham)
        AN ^5.176.5 - (these 5 things not present in pīti/rapture)
            AN ^5.176.5.1 - (Kāma’s dukkha & domanassa)
            AN ^5.176.5.2 - (Kāma’s sukha & somanassa)
            AN ^5.176.5.3 - (A-kusala dukkha & domanassa)
            AN ^5.176.5.4 - (A-kusala sukha & somanassa)
            AN ^5.176.5.5 - (Kusala dukkha & domanassa)
        AN ^5.176.6 - (buddha praises sāriputta and confirms instructions)

6.10 - AN 6.10 Mahānāma: With Mahānāma

(2023 FLIPT translation by frankk‍ )

        AN ^6.10.1 - ( Buddh-ānu-s-sati)
        AN ^6.10.2 - ( Dhamm-ānu-s-sati)
        AN ^6.10.3 - ( Saṅgh-ānu-s-sati)
        AN ^6.10.4 - ( Sīl-ānu-s-sati)
        AN ^6.10.5 - ( Cāg-ānu-s-sati)
        AN ^6.10.6 - ( Devat-ānu-s-sati)

(contains detailed explicit 7 awakening factor leading to 4 jhānas)

 

5.26 - AN 5.26 Vimuttāyatana: Opportunities for Freedom

(2023 SP-FLUENT translation by frankk‍ derived from B. Sujato‍ )
    AN ^5.26 - AN 5.26 Vimuttāyatana: Opportunities for Freedom
        AN ^5.26.1 - First jhāna possible while hearing live dhamma talk
            AN ^5.26.1.7 - (refrain: 7sb☀️ → jhāna → arahantship)
        AN ^5.26.2 - Giving a dhamma talk leads to himself getting jhāna
            AN ^5.26.2.7 - (refrain: 7sb☀️ → jhāna → arahantship)
        AN ^5.26.3 - Reciting memorized dhamma passage leads to jhāna
            AN ^5.26.3.7 - (refrain: 7sb☀️ → jhāna → arahantship)
        AN ^5.26.4 - first jhāna possible while thinking and pondering memorized dhamma
            AN ^5.26.4.7 - (refrain: 7sb☀️ → jhāna → arahantship)
        AN ^5.26.5 - No V&V, undirected samādhi into 2nd jhāna or higher
            AN ^5.26.5.7 - (refrain: 7sb☀️ → jhāna → arahantship)