1"Bhikkhus, suppose there is a guest house. People come from the east, west, north, and south and lodge there; khattiyas, brahmins, vessas, and suddas come and lodge there.

"So too, when a bhikkhu develops and cultivates the four jhānas,
- he fully understands by direct knowledge those things that are to be fully understood by direct knowledge;
- he abandons by direct knowledge those things that are to be abandoned by direct knowledge;
- he realizes by direct knowledge those things that are to be realized by direct knowledge;
- he develops by direct knowledge those things that are to be developed by direct knowledge.

2"And what, bhikkhus, are the things to be fully understood by direct knowledge? It should be said: the five aggregates subject to clinging. What five?

The form aggregate subject to clinging,
the feeling aggregate subject to clinging,
the perception aggregate subject to clinging,
the volitional formations aggregate subject to clinging,
the consciousness aggregate subject to clinging.
These are the things to be fully understood by direct knowledge.

"And what, bhikkhus, are the things to be abandoned by direct knowledge?
Ignorance and craving for existence.
These are the things to be abandoned by direct knowledge.

"And what, bhikkhus, are the things to be realized by direct knowledge?
True knowledge and liberation.
These are the things to be realized by direct knowledge.

"And what, bhikkhus, are the things to be developed by direct knowledge?
Serenity and insight.
These are the things to be developed by direct knowledge.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that when a bhikkhu develops and cultivates the four jhānas,
- he fully understands by direct knowledge those things that are to be fully understood by direct knowledge;
- he abandons by direct knowledge those things that are to be abandoned by direct knowledge;
- he realizes by direct knowledge those things that are to be realized by direct knowledge;
- he develops by direct knowledge those things that are to be developed by direct knowledge?

Here, bhikkhus, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by thought and examination,In MLDB I rendered vitakka and vicāra respectively as “applied thought” and “sustained thought.” In this translation they become “thought” and “examination.” The latter is surely closer to the actual meaning of vicāra. When vitakka is translated as “thought,” however, a word of caution is necessary. In common usage, vitakka corresponds so closely to our “thought” that no other rendering seems feasible; for example, in kāmavitakka, sensual thought, or its opposite, nekkhammavitakka, thought of renunciation. When, however, vitakka and vicāra occur as constituents of the first jhāna, they do not exercise the function of discursive thinking characteristic of ordinary consciousness. Here, rather, vitakka is the mental factor with the function of applying the mind to the object, and vicāra the factor with the function of examining the object nondiscursively in order to anchor the mind in the object. with rapture and happiness born of seclusion,
- which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion;
- which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal;
- which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.

With the subsiding of thought and examination, he enters and dwells in the second jhāna, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without thought and examination, and has rapture and happiness born of concentration,
- which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion;
- which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal;
- which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.

With the fading away as well of rapture, he dwells equanimous and, mindful and clearly comprehending, he experiences happiness with the body; he enters and dwells in the third jhāna of which the noble ones declare: ‘He is equanimous, mindful, one who dwells happily.’
- which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion;
- which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal;
- which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.

With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and displeasure, he enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which is neither painful nor pleasant and includes the purification of mindfulness by equanimity,
- which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion;
- which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal;
- which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna.

"It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu develops and cultivates the four jhānas so that
- he fully understands by direct knowledge those things that are to be fully understood by direct knowledge;
- he abandons by direct knowledge those things that are to be abandoned by direct knowledge;
- he realizes by direct knowledge those things that are to be realized by direct knowledge;
- he develops by direct knowledge those things that are to be developed by direct knowledge."

1"Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, āgantukāgāraṁ. Tattha puratthimāyapi disāya āgantvā vāsaṁ kappenti, pacchimāyapi disāya āgantvā vāsaṁ kappenti, uttarāyapi disāya āgantvā vāsaṁ kappenti, dakkhiṇāyapi disāya āgantvā vāsaṁ kappenti, khattiyāpi āgantvā vāsaṁ kappenti, brāhmaṇāpi āgantvā vāsaṁ kappenti, vessāpi āgantvā vāsaṁ kappenti, suddāpi āgantvā vāsaṁ kappenti; …

Ekādasamaṁ.