1"Suppose, bhikkhus, that when the river Ganges slants, slopes, and inclines towards the east, a great crowd of people would come along bringing a shovel and a basket, thinking: ‘We will make this river Ganges slant, slope, and incline towards the west.’[n.43] The simile and its application here parallel SN35.244 (IV 191, 1–24). What do you think, bhikkhus, would that great crowd of people be able to make the river Ganges slant, slope, and incline towards the west?"

"No, venerable sir. For what reason? Because the river Ganges slants, slopes, and inclines towards the east, and it is not easy to make it slant, slope, and incline towards the west. That great crowd of people would only reap fatigue and vexation."

"So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu is developing and cultivating the four jhānas, kings or royal ministers, friends or colleagues, relatives or kinsmen, might invite him to accept wealth, saying: ‘Come, good man, why let these saffron robes weigh you down? Why roam around with a shaven head and a begging bowl? Come, having returned to the lower life, enjoy wealth and do meritorious deeds.’

Indeed, bhikkhus, when that bhikkhu is developing and cultivating the four jhānas, it is impossible that he will give up the training and return to the lower life. For what reason? Because for a long time his mind has slanted, sloped, and inclined towards seclusion. Thus it is impossible that he will return to the lower life.

"And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu 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 develops and cultivates the four jhānas."

1"Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. Atha mahājanakāyo āgaccheyya kuddālapiṭakaṁ ādāya: ‘mayaṁ imaṁ gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ karissāma pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran’ti. Taṁ kiṁ maññatha, bhikkhave, api nu so mahājanakāyo gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ pacchāninnaṁ kareyya pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāran"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante. Taṁ kissa hetu? Gaṅgā, bhante, nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā. Sā na sukarā pacchāninnaṁ kātuṁ pacchāpoṇaṁ pacchāpabbhāraṁ. Yāvadeva pana so mahājanakāyo kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī assā"ti.

"Evameva kho, bhikkhave, …

Dvādasamaṁ.

Balakaraṇīyavaggo chaṭṭho.
(Yadapi balakaraṇīyaṁ, tadapi vitthāretabbaṁ.)