The Third Jhāna
DN 22 Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta gives the standard formula for the third jhāna as follows:
With the fading away of joy he remains equanimous, mindful and fully aware, and experiences pleasure with the body; he enters and remains in the third jhāna of which the noble ones say, ‘Equanimous and mindful, he abides pleasantly.’
AN 9.42 tells us that the pleasure commonly referred to in the descriptions of the third jhāna is actually the pleasure of equanimity (upekkhāsukha). This accords well with SN 48.40, where it states that the pleasure faculty (sukhindriya) ceases in the third jhāna.
What remains is the equanimity faculty (upekkhindriya) and the happiness faculty (somanassindriya), which in light of SN 48.37, in the third jhāna refers to bodily equanimity (kāyika upekkhā) and mental pleasure (cetasika sukha). DN 9 refers to the apperception of this experience as an actual refined recognition of equanimity (upekkhāsukhasukhumasaccasaññā).
Again, this conforms to the word-commentary offered in Peṭakopadesa 7.72:
With the fading away of joy he has abandoned what is comprised of wetness (i.e. joy). But happiness of mind still arises there, and when he investigates that, he gives attention only to equanimity.
With the fading away of joy he remains equanimous, and as he still feels with the body the pleasure [of equanimity) induced by joy, he remains fully aware. Mindful and fully aware, equanimity comes to fulfillment.
It is also worth noting that mindfulness and full awareness are given as dominant jhāna facors here in the third jhāna. This reveals the integral progression from the four applications of mindfulness as integral mindfulness continuing through to the third and fourth jhānas as integral meditative composure.
