It’s not that Bhante Sujato’s translation doesn’t work at all. It obviously works for VRJ (vism. redefinition of jhana) situations. For example, using one of the 10 kasinas, or visual breath nimitta to enter an arupa samadhi. But this is not the purpose of first jhana in the EBT. The purpose of first jhana is to have “directed samadhi” as a bridge, a systematic gradual, organic holistic use of 7sb (awakening factor) to train samadhi.
These 3 suttas show very clearly how the pieces fit together (7sb, samadhi)
SN 47.10 directed (with V&V) and undirected bhavana (2nd jhana and up)
AN 5.26 involves hearing sound of dhamma talk, V&V, reciting dhamma
SN 46.3 even uses the word vicara within the description of dhamma-vicaya-sambojjhanga.
in first jhana, from the point of view of 7sb
- vitakka is sati-sambojjhanga, which remembers a particular Dhamma teaching
- vicara “thinks and considers” that Dhamma recollected by sati
- vigor: one is energetic physically , mentally, continuously with no let up.
- piti arises when one realizes mind is becoming more purified, peaceful, free, happy.
… leading into jhana (samadhi-sambojjhanga)
It’s not just “placing and connected the mind” to any old phenomena, it’s “thinking and considering Dhamma-teaching that leads to liberation”.
By not translating with “thinking and considering” as he does elsewhere, B. Sujato is breaking the intimate link between first jhana and 7sb.
The point of V&V in first jhana is to act as a “directed samadhi” (SN 47.10), by means of training to use different pieces of Dhamma-teaching. If you already can get into 4 jhanas, SN 47.10 talks about “undirected samadhi” of avitakka-avicara (2nd jhana and up). You don’t need to prime the mind with a dhamma teaching recalled with sati-sambojjhanga & vitakka at this point, you just directly flip your samadhi switch and go in.
So basically, by going with “placing and keeping mind connected”, B. Sujato is describing first jhana from the point of view of someone who already can do second jhana and higher. That’s not the intended audience the Buddha was targeting! First jhana is for people who can’t do first jhana and second jhana yet.
Also look carefully at AN 8.63, where V&V, first and second jhana is divided into 3 groups. And the subject of V&V is any of the 4sp (satipathana), and any of the 4bv (brahma vihara) in this sutta. Which would require V&V to do more than just “place and keep connected”.