Regarding directed thought and evaluation in the first jhāna formula, Peṭakopadesa 7.72 offers the following word-commentary:
Tatthaalobhassa pāripūriyā nekkhammavitakkaṃ vitakketi. Tattha adosassa pāripūriyā abyāpādavitakkaṃ vitakketi. Tattha amohassa pāripūriyā avihiṃsāvitakkaṃ vitakketi.
Here, for fulfilling non-passion he thinks the thought of renunciation. Here, for fulfilling non-aggression he thinks the thought of non-aversion. Here, for fulfilling non-delusion he thinks the thought of harmlessness.
Tattha alobhassa pāripūriyā vivitto hoti kāmehi. Tattha adosassa pāripūriyā amohassa pāripūriyā ca vivitto hoti pāpakehi akusalehi dhammehi, savitakkaṃ savicāraṃ vivekajaṃ pītisukhaṃ paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.
Here, for fulfilling non-passion he is secluded from sensual pleasures. Here, for fulfilling non-aggression and fulfilling non-delusion he is secluded from unskillful phenomena. And so he enters and remains in the first jhāna, which includes directed thought and evaluation, as well as joy and pleasure born of seclusion.
Vitakkāti tayo vitakkā – nekkhammavitakko abyāpādavitakko avihiṃsāvitakko.
Directed thought: There are three kinds of directed thought, namely the thought of renunciation, the thought of non-aversion, and the thought of harmlessness.
Tattha paṭhamābhinipāto vitakko, paṭiladdhassa vicaraṇaṃ vicāro.
Here, directed thought is the first instance while evaluation is the evaluation of what is thereby received.
Yathā puriso dūrato purisaṃ passati āgacchantaṃ, na ca tāva jānāti eso itthīti vā purisoti vā yadā tu paṭilabhati itthīti vā purisoti vā evaṃ vaṇṇoti vā evaṃ saṇṭhānoti vā ime vitakkayanto uttari upaparikkhanti kiṃ nu kho ayaṃ sīlavā udāhu dussīlo aḍḍho vā duggatoti vā. Evaṃ vicāro vitakke appeti, vicāro cariyati ca anuvattati ca.
Just as when a man sees someone approaching in the distance he does not yet know whether it is a woman or a man, but when he has received [the recognition] that “it is a woman” or “it is a man” or that “it is of such color” or that “it is one of such shape,” then when he has thought this he further scrutinizes, “How then, is he ethical or unethical, rich or poor?” This is examination. With directed thought he fixes. With examination he moves about and turns over [what has been thought].
Yathā pakkhī pubbaṃ āyūhati pacchā nāyūhati yathā āyūhanā evaṃ vitakko, yathā pakkhānaṃ pasāraṇaṃ evaṃ vicāro anupālati vitakketi vicarati vicāreti. Vitakkayati vitakketi, anuvicarati vicāreti. Kāmasaññāya paṭipakkho vitakko, byāpādasaññāya vihiṃsasaññāya ca paṭipakkho vicāro. Vitakkānaṃ kammaṃ akusalassa amanasikāro, vicārānaṃ kammaṃ jeṭṭhānaṃ saṃvāraṇā.
And just as a winged bird first accumulates [speed] and then accumulates no more [speed when gliding], so too, directed thought is like the accumulation, and evaluation is like the outstretched wings which keeps preserving the directed thought and evaluation....
Yathā paliko tuṇhiko sajjhāyaṃ karoti evaṃ vitakko, yathā taṃyeva anupassati evaṃ vicāro. Yathā apariññā evaṃ vitakko. Yathā pariññā evaṃ vicāro. Niruttipaṭisambhidāyañca paṭibhānapaṭisambhidāyañca vitakko, dhammapaṭisambhidāyañca atthapaṭisambhidāyañca vicāro. Kallitā kosallattaṃ cittassa vitakko, abhinīhārakosallaṃ cittassa vicāro . Idaṃ kusalaṃ idaṃ akusalaṃ idaṃ bhāvetabbaṃ idaṃ pahātabbaṃ idaṃ sacchikātabbanti vitakko, yathā pahānañca bhāvanā ca sacchikiriyā ca evaṃ vicāro.
Directed thought is like a text-reciter who does his recitation silently. Evaluation is like him simply contemplating it. Directed thought is like a lack of full comprehension (apariññā). Evaluation is like full comprehension (pariññā). Directed thought is the analytical understanding of language (niruttipaṭisambhidā) and the analytical understanding of knowledge (paṭibhānapaṭisambhidā). Evaluation is the analytical understanding of dhamma (dhammapaṭisambhidā) and the analytical understanding of meaning (atthapaṭisambhidā). Directed thought is the mind’s skill in pleasantness. Evaluation is the mind’s skill in endeavor. Directed thought is about this being skillful, this unskillful, about this to be developed, this to be abandoned, this to be verified. Evaluation is like the abandoning, the development, the verification.
Imesu vitakkavicāresu ṭhitassa duvidhaṃ dukkhaṃ na uppajjati kāyikañca cetasikañca; duvidhaṃ sukhaṃ uppajjati kāyikañca cetasikañca. Iti vitakkajanitaṃ cetasikaṃ sukhaṃ pīti kāyikaṃ sukhaṃ kāyikoyeva. Yā tattha cittassa ekaggatā, ayaṃ samādhi. Iti paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ pañcaṅgavippahīnaṃ pañcaṅgasamannāgataṃ.
Полный отрывок из Петакопадесы (в переводе досточимого Нянамоли) с объяснением описания четырех джхан в суттах:
[4 Meditations—Word-Commentary
1st Meditation]
576. Herein, for the fulfilling of non-greed he thinks renunciation-thinking. Herein, for the fulfilling of non-hate he thinks non-ill-will-thinking. Herein, for the fulfilling of non-delusion he thinks non-cruelty-thinking.
577. Herein, for the fulfilling of non-greed he is <
secluded from sensual desires> (§ 550). Herein, for the fulfilling of non-hate and for the fulfilling of non-delusion he is <
secluded from unprofitable ideas > (§ 550). [142] And so <
he enters upon and abides in the first meditation, which is accompanied by thinking and exploring, with happiness and pleasure born of seclusion> (§ 550).
578. " Thinking " there are three kinds of thinking, namely renunciation-thinking, non-ill-will-thinking, and non-cruelty-thinking (
D. iii, 215).
579. Herein, " thinking " is the first instance while "exploring " is the exploration of what is got thus.
580. Just as, when a man sees a man coming in the distance he does not yet know whether it is a woman or a man ; but when he has got [the perception] that " it is a woman " or that " it is a man " or that " it is one of such colour (caste) " or that " it is one of such shape (figure) ", then when he is
thinking [this] he further scrutinizes [as follows] "How then, is he virtuous or unvirtuous, rich or poor ? ", such is
exploring. In
thinking he fixes, in
exploring he wanders about [his fixed object] and turns [it] over.
581. And just as a winged bird first accumulates [speed] and afterwards no more accumulates [speed, when gliding], so too,
thinking is like the accumulation [of speed], and like the out-stretchedness of the [gliding bird's] wings is
exploring, [which] keeps preserving the thinkings and keeps preserving the explorings.
582. [Such] thinking is the opposite of perception of sensual desires ; [such] exploring is the opposite of perception of ill will and of perception of cruelty. The action of [such] kinds of thinking is non-attention to the unprofitable. The action of [such] kinds of exploring is the restraining of the " forerunners ".
583. Thinking is like a text-reciter who does his recital silently : exploring is like his simply contemplating it. Thinking is like non-diagnosis ; exploring is like diagnosis. Thinking is the Discrimination of Language (§ 104) and the Discrimination of Perspicuity (§ 106) ; exploring is the Discrimination of Ideas (§ 103) and the Discrimination of Meanings (§ 105). Thinking is cognizance's skill in health ; exploring is cognizance's skill in directive-guidance. [143] Thinking is about this being profitable, this unprofitable, about this to be kept in being, this to be abandoned, this to be verified ; exploring is like the abandoning, the keeping in being, the verifying.
584. The twofold, bodily and mental, pain does not arise (cf. § 588) in one steadied in these types of (
a)
thinking and (
b)
exploring, and the twofold pleasure, bodily and mental, does arise. The mental pleasure thus sprung from thinking is (
c)
happiness, while (
d) the bodily
pleasure is bodily feeling. The (
e)
unification here is concentration (see § 564). That is how the first meditation has abandoned five factors and possesses five factors (§§ 552, 564).
[2nd Meditation]
585. With constant cultivation of this same thinking and exploring his mentality becomes inclined thereto. Then the thinking and exploring seem gross to him, and the renunciation-born pleasure-of-happiness also is gross, and so concentration-born (
c)
happiness and (
d) delight are born instead.
586. His heart [which in the first meditation] had exploring's object becomes (
f)
confident (clarified) in itself with the pacification of these [namely thinking and exploring]. The two ideas, namely thinking and exploring, need no longer be recollected, and what now can be served is the presently arisen singleness due to their quieting, which singleness is (
e)
unification. It is through that singleness that the (
c)
happiness comes to fulfilment. The happiness is the [mental] joy faculty, while the (
d)
pleasure is the [bodily] pleasure faculty, the unification of cognizance is concentration. So that second meditation possesses four factors (§ 565).
[3rd Meditation]
587. <
With the fading ... of happiness, he ... > (§ 550) has abandoned what is comprised by wetness. But joy-cognizance still arises there, and when he investigates that, he attends with only [conasсent] onlooking-equanimity <
With the fadin of happiness he abides in onlooking-equanimity > (§ 550) ; and as he [still] feels with the body the (
d)
pleasure induced by the happiness he abides aware, by means of which (
g)
mindfulness and (
h)
awareness the (
i)
onlooking-equanimity comes to fulfilment. [And the (
e) unification of cognizance is concentrations. So] that third meditation possesses five factors (§ 566).
[4th Meditation]
588. [144] Likewise <
with the abandoning of bodily pleasure> (§ 550) in the first meditation the grief faculty ceases, and in the second meditation the pain faculty ceases (cf. § 584), so <
with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, he enters upon and abides in the fourth meditation, which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure, and the purity of whose mindfulness is due to onlooking-equanimity > (§ 550). Herein, the onlooking-equanimity was as yet unclarified owing to the [presence of the] four faculties, namely the pain faculty, grief faculty, pleasure faculty, and joy faculty. With the cessation of these there is onlooking-equanimity and awareness. Herein, it was owing to the pleasure faculty and the joy faculty that there was unmindfulness, and with their cessation he becomes possessed of mindfulness ; and it is owing to the pain faculty and the grief faculty that there was unawareness, and with their cessation he becomes aware. So with the clarification due to (
i)
onlooking-equanimity, [which is accompanied by (
k)
neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling,] he becomes (
j)
mindful and aware, and there is (
e)
unification of cognizance (cf. § 567). This is called the fourth meditation.