I searched for every reference I could find in the EBT on this alternate scheme of concentration (as opposed to 4 jhānas).
As far as I know, those are the only 3 suttas that actually give a little bit of instruction and more detail on what’s going on before, during, and after the “3 way samadhi”.
All the other suttas references that I searched only mention these as a list of three things.
From what I can see, it seems to be a scheme to show a more gradual progress from 4sp (satipatthana) without first jhāna, to the point where 4sp and first jhāna converge.
Note that in MN 128, like MN 19, the Buddha is describing his struggles with mastering samādhi while he was still a bodhisatta. In MN 19, he just says if you think too much, your body gets tired and you can’t get samādhi (and the 4 jhānas). But when you calm V&V sufficiently (vitakka and vicara), then you can do 4j. He doesn’t give any detail on that process in MN 19, but in the very next sutta MN 20 he gives 5 methods to calm V&V.
MN 128 on the other hand, doesn’t add any insight on what’s happening on that gradual calming of V&V, maybe only indirectly by having their list of 10 “upakilesas” instead of the usual 5 hindrances.
AN 8.63 seems to be the only sutta in existence that I can find where it gives a clear context and implicitly show how V&V gradually disappear in first jhāna. The sutta shows 3 way samādhi being developed con-concurrently with 4 bv (brahma viharas) and 4sp.
Vicāra then has the role of dhamma-vicaya-sambojjhanga, and evaluation of the directed thought. So far example, if you chose 16 APS (anapana), vicara would ponder, discriminate, evaluate qualities of the breath as its experienced in the anatomical body and mind. If you chose metta-bhavana, or 31 body parts, it would evaluate those subjects accordingly.
So for 3 way samadhi scheme, the 2nd one where vitakka dropped out and only a modicum of vicara remains, this means you’ve got stray thoughts well under control, you can stay on your meditation topic. Whereas in the samadhi with V&V, vitakka would frequently have to “change channels” and switch to a 4sp stopic or samma vayāmo to block and suppress hindrances that are preventing you from doing vicara/evaluation on your chosen topic.
The third part of 3 way samadhi, without V&V, would then map into 2nd jhāna or higher. That is your investigation of your meditation topic could continue non-verbally via S&S (sati and sampajano).
SN 41.8 linked to 4 jhānas, but no specific mapping
Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta then said to him:
“Householder, do you have faith in the ascetic Gotama when he says:
‘There is a concentration without thought and examination,
there is a cessation of thought and examination’?
[Citta responds]:
“In this matter, venerable sir,
I do not go by faith in the Blessed One when he says:
‘There is a concentration without thought and examination,
there is a cessation of thought and examination. ’”
...
“Well, venerable sir, to whatever extent I wish,
secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states,
I enter and dwell in the first jhāna,
which is accompanied by thought and examination,
with rapture and happiness born of seclusion.
Then, to whatever extent I wish, with the subsiding of thought and examination, I enter and dwell in the second jhāna….
Then, to whatever extent I wish, with the fading away as well of rapture…I enter and dwell in the third jhāna….
Then, to whatever extent I wish, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain…I enter and dwell in the fourth jhāna.
“Since I know and see thus, venerable sir,
in what other ascetic or brahmin need I place faith regarding the claim that there is a concentration without thought and examination,
a cessation of thought and examination?”
“avicaro samadhi” pali search results
avicāro samādhi (9) savitakkasavicāro samādhi (5)
savicāro samādhi (7)
MN
SN 4, 9. asaṅkhatasaṃyuttaṃ, 1. paṭhamavaggo, 3. savitakkasavicārasuttaṃ (SN 43.3), para. 1 ⇒
368. “katamo ca, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo? savitakkasavicāro samādhi, avitakkavicāramatto samādhi, avitakkāvicāro samādhi — ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo . pe . tatiyaṃ.
SN 4, 9. asaṅkhatasaṃyuttaṃ, 2. dutiyavaggo, 1. asaṅkhatasuttaṃ (SN 43.12), para. 3 ⇒
“katamo ca, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo? savitakko savicāro samādhi. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo . pe . katamo ca, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo? avitakko vicāramatto samādhi. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo . pe . katamo ca, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo? avitakko avicāro samādhi. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, asaṅkhatagāmimaggo . pe .
SN 5, 2. bojjhaṅgasaṃyuttaṃ, 6. sākacchavaggo, 2. pariyāyasuttaṃ (SN 46.52), para. 15 ⇒
“yadapi, bhikkhave, savitakko savicāro samādhi tadapi samādhisambojjhaṅgo, yadapi avitakkāvicāro samādhi tadapi samādhisambojjhaṅgo. ‘samādhisambojjhaṅgo’ti iti hidaṃ uddesaṃ gacchati. tadamināpetaṃ pariyāyena dvayaṃ hoti.
AN
KN
KN Paṭis, 1. mahāvaggo, 1. ñāṇakathā, 3. samādhibhāvanāmayañāṇaniddeso, para. 1 ⇒
43. kathaṃ saṃvaritvā samādahane paññā samādhibhāvanāmaye ñāṇaṃ? eko samādhi — cittassa ekaggatā. dve samādhī — lokiyo samādhi, lokuttaro samādhi. tayo samādhī — savitakkasavicāro samādhi, avitakkavicāramatto samādhi, avitakkāvicāro samādhi. cattāro samādhī — hānabhāgiyo samādhi, ṭhitibhāgiyo samādhi, visesabhāgiyo samādhi, nibbedhabhāgiyo samādhi. pañca samādhī — pītipharaṇatā, sukhapharaṇatā, cetopharaṇatā, ālokapharaṇatā, paccavekkhaṇānimittaṃ .
KN Mil, 5. anumānapañho, 4. anumānavaggo, 1. anumānapañho, para. 36 ⇒
“katamaṃ, mahārāja, bhagavato samādhiratanaṃ? savitakkasavicāro samādhi, avitakkavicāramatto samādhi, avitakkāvicāro samādhi, suññato samādhi, animitto samādhi, appaṇihito samādhi. samādhiratanaṃ kho, mahārāja, piḷandhassa bhikkhuno ye te kāmavitakkabyāpādavitakkavihiṃsāvitakkamānuddhaccadiṭṭhivicikicchākilesavatthūni vividhāni ca kuvitakkāni, te sabbe samādhiṃ āsajja vikiranti vidhamanti viddhaṃsanti na saṇṭhanti na upalimpanti . yathā, mahārāja, vāri pokkharapatte vikirati vidhamati viddhaṃsati na saṇṭhāti na upalimpati. taṃ kissa hetu? parisuddhattā padumassa. evameva kho, mahārāja, samādhiratanaṃ piḷandhassa bhikkhuno ye te kāmavitakkabyāpādavitakkavihiṃsāvitakkamānuddhacca diṭṭhivicikicchākilesavatthūni vividhāni ca kuvitakkāni, te sabbe samādhiṃ āsajja vikiranti vidhamanti viddhaṃsanti na saṇṭhanti na upalimpanti. taṃ kissa hetu? parisuddhattā samādhissa. idaṃ vuccati, mahārāja, ‘bhagavato samādhiratanan’ti, evarūpāni kho, mahārāja, samādhiratanāni bhagavato ratanāpaṇe pasāritāni.
KN Nett, 4. paṭiniddesavāro, 14. adhiṭṭhānahāravibhaṅgo, para. 20 ⇒
“samādhī”ti ekattatā. tattha katamo samādhi? saraṇo samādhi, araṇo samādhi, savero samādhi, avero samādhi, sabyāpajjo samādhi, abyāpajjo samādhi, sappītiko samādhi, nippītiko samādhi, sāmiso samādhi, nirāmiso samādhi, sasaṅkhāro samādhi, asaṅkhāro samādhi, ekaṃsabhāvito samādhi, ubhayaṃsabhāvito samādhi, ubhayato bhāvitabhāvano samādhi, savitakkasavicāro samādhi, avitakkavicāramatto samādhi, avitakkāvicāro samādhi, hānabhāgiyo samādhi, ṭhitibhāgiyo samādhi, visesabhāgiyo samādhi, nibbedhabhāgiyo samādhi, lokiyo samādhi, lokuttaro samādhi, micchāsamādhi, sammāsamādhi. ayaṃ vemattatā.
KN Nett, 4. paṭiniddesavāro, 2. vicayahārasampāto, para. 41 ⇒
tattha kati jhānāni? cattāri jhānāni. kati vimokkhā? ekādasa ca aṭṭha ca satta ca tayo ca dve ca. kati samādhī? tayo samādhī — savitakko savicāro samādhi, avitakko vicāramatto samādhi, avitakko avicāro samādhi. kati samāpattiyo? pañca samāpattiyo — saññāsamāpatti asaññāsamāpatti nevasaññānāsaññāsamāpatti vibhūtasaññāsamāpatti nirodhasamāpatti.
KN Nett, nayasamuṭṭhānaṃ, para. 59 ⇒
tesaṃ tiṇṇaṃ puggalānaṃ ayaṃ saṃkileso, tīṇi akusalamūlāni lobho akusalamūlaṃ doso akusalamūlaṃ moho akusalamūlaṃ, tīṇi duccaritāni — kāyaduccaritaṃ vacīduccaritaṃ manoduccaritaṃ; tayo akusalavitakkā — kāmavitakko byāpādavitakko vihiṃsāvitakko; tisso akusalasaññā — kāmasaññā byāpādasaññā vihiṃsāsaññā; tisso viparītasaññā — niccasaññā sukhasaññā attasaññā; tisso vedanā — sukhā vedanā dukkhā vedanā adukkhamasukhā vedanā; tisso dukkhatā — dukkhadukkhatā saṅkhāradukkhatā vipariṇāmadukkhatā; tayo aggī — rāgaggi dosaggi mohaggi; tayo sallā — rāgasallo dosasallo mohasallo; tisso jaṭā — rāgajaṭā dosajaṭā mohajaṭā; tisso akusalūpaparikkhā — akusalaṃ kāyakammaṃ akusalaṃ vacīkammaṃ akusalaṃ manokammaṃ. tisso vipattiyo — sīlavipatti diṭṭhivipatti ācāravipattīti. tesaṃ tiṇṇaṃ puggalānaṃ idaṃ vodānaṃ. tīṇi kusalamūlāni — alobho kusalamūlaṃ adoso kusalamūlaṃ amoho kusalamūlaṃ. tīṇi sucaritāni — kāyasucaritaṃ vacīsucaritaṃ manosucaritaṃ. tayo kusalavitakkā — nekkhammavitakko abyāpādavitakko avihiṃsāvitakko. tayo samādhī — savitakko savicāro samādhi avitakko vicāramatto samādhi avitakko avicāro samādhi. tisso kusalasaññā — nekkhammasaññā abyāpādasaññā avihiṃsāsaññā. tisso aviparītasaññā — aniccasaññā dukkhasaññā anattasaññā. tisso kusalūpaparikkhā — kusalaṃ kāyakammaṃ kusalaṃ vacīkammaṃ kusalaṃ manokammaṃ. tīṇi soceyyāni — kāyasoceyyaṃ vacīsoceyyaṃ manosoceyyaṃ; tisso sampattiyo — sīlasampatti samādhisampatti paññāsampatti. tisso sikkhā — adhisīlasikkhā adhicittasikkhā adhipaññāsikkhā; tayo khandhā — sīlakkhandho samādhikkhandho paññākkhandho. tīṇi vimokkhamukhāni — suññataṃ animittaṃ appaṇihitanti.
KN Peṭ, 8. suttavebhaṅgiyaṃ, , para. 39 ⇒
tattha yaṃ alobho kusalamūlaṃ, taṃ sutamayipaññaṃ paripūreti, sutamayī paññā paripuṇṇā savitakkaṃ savicāraṃ samādhiṃ paripūreti, savitakko savicāro samādhi paripuṇṇo adhicittasikkhaṃ paripūreti, adhicittasikkhā paripuṇṇā samathanimittaṃ paripūreti, samathanimittaṃ paripuṇṇaṃ nekkhammavitakkaṃ paripūreti, nekkhammavitakko paripuṇṇo anaññātaññassāmītindriyaṃ paripūreti, anaññātaññassāmītindriyaṃ paripuṇṇaṃ nekkhammūpavicāraṃ paripūreti, nekkhammūpavicāro paripuṇṇo kāmesanaṃ pajahati, kāmesanappahānaṃ samādhikkhandhaṃ paripūreti.
KN Peṭ, 8. suttavebhaṅgiyaṃ, , para. 41 ⇒
amoho kusalamūlaṃ bhāvanāmayipaññaṃ paripūreti, bhāvanāmayīpaññā paripuṇṇā avitakkāvicāraṃ samādhiṃ paripūreti, avitakko avicāro samādhi paripuṇṇo adhipaññāsikkhaṃ paripūreti, adhipaññāsikkhā paripuṇṇā paggahanimittaṃ paripūreti, paggahanimittaṃ paripuṇṇaṃ aññātāvino indriyaṃ paripūreti, aññātāvino indriyaṃ paripuṇṇaṃ avihiṃsūpavicāraṃ paripūreti, avihiṃsūpavicāro paripuṇṇo brahmacariyesanaṃ paripūreti, brahmacariyesanā paripuṇṇā paññākkhandhaṃ paripūreti.
KN Nidd I, 14. tuvaṭṭakasuttaniddeso, para. 169 ⇒
jhāyī na pādalolassāti. jhāyīti paṭhamenapi jhānena jhāyī,
dutiyenapi jhānena jhāyī,
tatiyenapi jhānena jhāyī,
catutthenapi jhānena jhāyī,
savitakkasavicārenapi jhānena jhāyī,
avitakkavicāramattenapi jhānena jhāyī,
avitakkāvicārenapi jhānena jhāyī,
sappītikenapi jhānena jhāyī,
nippītikenapi jhānena jhāyī,
pītisahagatenapi jhānena jhāyī,
sātasahagatenapi jhānena jhāyī,
sukhasahagatenapi jhānena jhāyī,
upekkhāsahagatenapi jhānena jhāyī,
suññatenapi jhānena jhāyī,
animittenapi jhānena jhāyī,
appaṇihitenapi jhānena jhāyī,
lokiyenapi jhānena jhāyī,
lokuttarenapi jhānena jhāyī,
jhānarato ekattamanuyutto paramatthagarukoti — jhāyī.
N Nidd II, pārāyanavaggo, pārāyanavagganiddeso, 13. udayamāṇavapucchāniddeso, para. 6 ⇒
jhāyiṃ virajamāsīnanti. jhāyinti jhāyī bhagavā. paṭhamenapi jhānena jhāyī,
dutiyenapi jhānena jhāyī,
tatiyenapi jhānena jhāyī,
catutthenapi jhānena jhāyī,
savitakkasavicārenapi jhānena jhāyī,
avitakkavicāramattenapi jhānena jhāyī,
avitakkāvicārenapi jhānena jhāyī,
sappītikenapi jhānena jhāyī,
nippītikenapi jhānena jhāyī,
sātasahagatenapi jhānena jhāyī,
upekkhāsahagatenapi jhānena jhāyī,
suññatenapi jhānena jhāyī,
animittenapi jhānena jhāyī,
appaṇihitenapi jhānena jhāyī,
lokiyenapi jhānena jhāyī,
lokuttarenapi jhānena jhāyī jhānarato ekattamanuyutto sadatthagarukoti — jhāyiṃ. virajanti rāgo rajo,
doso rajo,
moho rajo,
kodho rajo,
upanāho rajo . pe . sabbākusalābhisaṅkhārā rajā. te rajā buddhassa bhagavato pahīnā ucchinnamūlā tālāvatthukatā anabhāvaṃkatā āyatiṃ anuppādadhammā. tasmā buddho arajo virajo nirajo rajāpagato rajavippahīno rajavippayutto sabbarajavītivatto.
KN Nett, 4. paṭiniddesavāro, 14. adhiṭṭhānahāravibhaṅgo, para. 20 ⇒
“samādhī”ti ekattatā. tattha katamo samādhi? saraṇo samādhi,
araṇo samādhi,
savero samādhi,
avero samādhi,
sabyāpajjo samādhi,
abyāpajjo samādhi,
sappītiko samādhi,
nippītiko samādhi,
sāmiso samādhi,
nirāmiso samādhi,
sasaṅkhāro samādhi,
asaṅkhāro samādhi,
ekaṃsabhāvito samādhi,
ubhayaṃsabhāvito samādhi,
ubhayato bhāvitabhāvano samādhi,
savitakkasavicāro samādhi,
avitakkavicāramatto samādhi,
avitakkāvicāro samādhi,
hānabhāgiyo samādhi,
ṭhitibhāgiyo samādhi,
visesabhāgiyo samādhi,
nibbedhabhāgiyo samādhi,
lokiyo samādhi,
lokuttaro samādhi,
micchāsamādhi,
sammāsamādhi. ayaṃ vemattatā.
