V&V (vitakka & vicara) = directed-thought & evaluations.
V&V is implicit in this sutta. I’ve built a “no peyyāla” un-elided version of the sutta and clearly labeled the 7sb (awakening factors) so you can see how it leads to the 4j (jhanas), and how V&V from first jhana is not “placing the mind & keeping it connected”. It needs to “thinking” to have meaning.
The terms V&V are not explicitly stated in the sutta, but the fact that each of the recollections is a long series of thoughts in quotation marks, we can safely assume it’s vitakka (thinking).
The fact that pīti -sam-bojjhanga (rapture) arises, we can deduce that vicara (evaluation/pondering/consideration) must have happened. You don’t just recite words by rote and have an emotional reaction unless you’ve contemplated the meaning. The type of spiritual bliss engendered by each of the 6 recollections have nuances that differ from each other. Again, that must mean vicara (evaluation) was doing some thinking, not just “keeping the mind glued to a kasina”.
(1. Buddh-ānu-s-sati)
“Yo so, mahānāma, ariyasāvako āgataphalo viññātasāsano, |
“Mahānāma, when a noble disciple has reached the fruit and understood the instructions |
so iminā vihārena bahulaṃ viharati. |
they frequently practice this kind of meditation. |
Idha, mahānāma, ariyasāvako tathāgataṃ anussarati: |
Firstly, a noble disciple recollects the Realized One: |
‘iti-pi so bhagavā |
'Thus-indeed, he, the-Blessed-one, |
arahaṃ sammā-sambuddho |
(an) Arahant, properly-awakened, |
vijjā-caraṇa-sampanno |
knowledge-(and)-conduct-(he)-possesses, |
su-gato loka-vidū |
well-gone, world-knower, |
an-uttaro purisa-damma-sārathi |
un-surpassed man-training-leader, |
satthā deva-manussānaṃ |
teacher (of) devas-(and)-humans, |
buddho bhagavā’ti — |
(the) awakened-one, the-blessed-one - |
(7sb+ derived awakening factor sequence)
[b1] Yasmiṃ, mahānāma, samaye ariyasāvako tathāgataṃ anussarati |
[b1] When a noble disciple recollects the Realized One |
nevassa tasmiṃ samaye |
at that time |
rāga-pariyuṭṭhitaṃ cittaṃ hoti, |
their mind is not full of greed, |
na dosa-pariyuṭṭhitaṃ cittaṃ hoti, |
their mind is not full of hate, |
na moha-pariyuṭṭhitaṃ cittaṃ hoti; |
their mind is not full of delusion; |
ujugata-me-vassa tasmiṃ samaye cittaṃ hoti |
At that time their mind is unswerving, |
tathāgataṃ ārabbha. |
based on the Realized One. |
[b2] Ujugata-citto kho pana, mahānāma, ariya-sāvako |
[b2] (of) unswerving-mind, ***, (a) noble-one’s-disciple |
labhati attha-vedaṃ, |
obtains {experience of inspiration, awe, and joy in} – meaning, |
labhati dhamma-vedaṃ, |
obtains {experience of inspiration, awe, and joy in} – Dhamma-[teachings], |
labhati dhamm-ūpasaṃhitaṃ pā-mojjaṃ. |
obtains Dhamma-connected profuse-merriment. |
[b4] Pa-muditassa pīti jāyati, |
[b4] (When they’re) profusely-merry, rapture springs up. |
[b5] pīti-manassa kāyo passambhati, |
[b5] (with) en-raptured-mind, body (becomes)-pacified. |
passaddha-kāyo sukhaṃ vediyati, |
(with) pacified-body, pleasurable-[sensations] (he) experiences. |
[b6] sukhino cittaṃ samādhiyati. |
[b6] (with) pleasure, mind (becomes) undistractable-&-lucid. |
Ayaṃ vuccati, mahānāma: |
This is called |
‘ariya-sāvako visamagatāya pajāya samap-patto viharati, |
a noble disciple who lives in balance among people who are unbalanced, |
Sa-byāpajjāya pajāya a-byāpajjo viharati, |
and lives untroubled among people who are troubled. |
Dhamma-sotaṃ samāpanno |
They’ve entered the stream of the teaching |
buddhā-nus-satiṃ bhāveti’. (1) |
and develop the recollection of the Buddha. |