[325] "Suppose, young man, a man, having taken a loan, were to engage in business, and his business were to prosper. He would pay off the old debt-capital, and there would be a surplus left over for supporting a wife. It would occur to him: 'Formerly I took a loan and engaged in business; that business of mine prospered; I have paid off the old debt-capital, and I have a surplus left over for supporting a wife.' On that account he would gain gladness (pāmojja) and attain joy (somanassa).
"Suppose, young man, a man were afflicted with illness, in pain, gravely ill; food would not agree with him, and there would be no strength in his body. At a later time he would be freed from that illness; food would agree with him, and there would be strength in his body. It would occur to him: 'Formerly I was afflicted with illness, in pain, gravely ill; food did not agree with me, and there was no strength in my body. Now I am freed from that illness; food agrees with me, and there is strength in my body.' On that account he would gain gladness and attain joy.
"Suppose, young man, a man were confined in a prison. At a later time he would be released from that prison, safe and secure, with no loss of any of his possessions. It would occur to him: 'Formerly I was confined in a prison. Now I am released from that prison, safe and secure, and there is no loss of any of my possessions.' On that account he would gain gladness and attain joy.
"Suppose, young man, a man were a slave, not his own master, dependent on another, unable to go where he wishes. At a later time he would be freed from that slavery, his own master, not dependent on another, a freeman able to go where he wishes. It would occur to him: 'Formerly I was a slave, not my own master, dependent on another, unable to go where I wished. Now I am freed from that slavery, my own master, not dependent on another, a freeman able to go where I wish.' On that account he would gain gladness and attain joy.
"Suppose, young man, a man with wealth and possessions were to set out on a long desert road, where food is scarce and danger is present. At a later time he would cross over that desert safely and arrive at the outskirts of a village, secure and free from danger. It would occur to him: 'Formerly, with wealth and possessions, I set out on a long desert road, where food was scarce and danger was present. Now I have crossed over that desert safely and arrived at the outskirts of a village, secure and free from danger.' On that account he would gain gladness and attain joy.
"Even so, young man, so long as these five hindrances (nīvaraṇa) are unabandoned in himself, a bhikkhu regards them as a debt, as a disease, as a prison, as slavery, as a long desert road. But just as freedom from debt, as health, as release from prison, as freedom from slavery, as a place of security, even so, young man, a bhikkhu regards these five hindrances when they are abandoned in himself.
"When he regards these five hindrances as abandoned in himself, gladness is born; in one who is glad, rapture (pīti) is born; the body of one whose mind is filled with rapture becomes tranquil; one whose body is tranquil experiences happiness; the mind (citta) of one who is happy becomes concentrated. Quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by thought (vitakka) and examination (vicāra), with rapture and happiness born of seclusion. He drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with the rapture and happiness born of seclusion, so that there is no part of his whole body that is untouched by the rapture and happiness born of seclusion. Suppose, young man, a skilled bath attendant or a bath attendant's apprentice were to heap bath powder into a bronze dish and, sprinkling it gradually with water, knead it together, so that this ball of bath powder, permeated by moisture, suffused with moisture, touched by moisture within and without, yet does not ooze. Even so, young man, a bhikkhu … For whatever bhikkhu, young man, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, enters and dwells in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by thought and examination, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion—he drenches, steeps, fills, and pervades this very body with the rapture and happiness born of seclusion, so that there is no part of his whole body that is untouched by the rapture and happiness born of seclusion. This too pertains to his concentration (samādhi)."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.