1Elaborated by way of the jhānas parallel to SN45:139–48.

SN53:13"Bhikkhus, whatever beings there are— whether those without feet or those with two feet or those with four feet or those with many feet, whether consisting of form or formless, whether percipient, nonpercipient, or neither percipient nor nonpercipient— the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, is declared to be the chief among them, …

SN53:14"Bhikkhus, just as the footprints of all living beings that walk fit into the footprint of the elephant, and the elephant's footprint is declared to be the chief among them, that is, with respect to size, …

The next 7 similes are also at SN22:102.

SN53:15"Bhikkhus, just as all the rafters of a peaked house lean towards the roof peak, slope towards the roof peak, converge upon the roof peak, and the roof peak is declared to be their chief, …

SN53:16"Bhikkhus, just as, of all fragrant roots, black orris is declared to be their chief, …

SN53:17"Bhikkhus, just as, of all fragrant heartwoods, red sandalwood is declared to be their chief, …

SN53:18"Bhikkhus, just as, of all fragrant flowers, the jasmine is declared to be their chief, …

SN53:19"Bhikkhus, just as all petty princes are the vassals of a wheel-turning monarch, and the wheel-turning monarch is declared to be their chief, …

SN53:20"Bhikkhus, just as the radiance of all the stars does not amount to a sixteenth part of the radiance of the moon, and the radiance of the moon is declared to be their chief, …

SN53:21"Bhikkhus, just as in the autumn, when the sky is clear and cloudless, the sun, ascending in the sky, dispels all darkness from space as it shines and beams and radiates, …

SN53:22"Bhikkhus, just as, of all woven cloths, Kasian cloth is declared to be their chief, …

so too whatever wholesome states there are, they are all rooted in diligence, converge upon diligence, and diligence is declared to be the chief among them.

When a bhikkhu is diligent, it is to be expected that he will develop and cultivate the four jhānas.

And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu who is diligent develop and cultivate the four jhānas?

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 who develops and cultivates the four jhānas slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna."

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1(Appamādavaggo vitthāretabbo.)

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