Tipitaka are not conflict, but the inexpert readers often make them conflict.

1. I can completely say mostly "imaginable conflict" is not an actual conflict. I uncountable questions on the internet through more than 10 years and I discover the fact it's reader's error.
2. The case, sutta, is just used in a case, not wrong in the right case, but it is going to be wrong in the different case. Four Nikaya means there are more than ten thousand cases. In my experience, almost conflicts come from the readers' error, not from Tipitaka or Atthakatha.
3. The case's environment has various properties which can be noticed by just the proficient.
4. It is very hard to be a real Theravada professor. In VN Atthakatha has written it requires 20 years experience, the memory of whole 5 canons of Vijaya, and the whole 4 Nikaya. After that one has memorized that all, he are going to have the understanding like KN, Abhidhamma, and Atthakatha. By this way, most of "imaginable conflicts" are becoming no conflict.
5. All of the western style professors have no above qualifications, so they can't understand Abhidhamma, Atthakatha, and some sutta, then they again them all. It means they against the Tipitaka origin because actually, the MahaAtthakatha teachers are the first council members.

Lord Yama's identity

I've been reading up on cosmology and am curious if Lord Suyama of Yama heaven and Lord Yama as judge of the recently deceased are the same figure. The latter is often said to reside in either the hell or preta realms, but since he is also a vaimanikapreta, I can't help but wonder if his time in the higher planes equates to this third level of heaven. Or are the same names simply coincidence?
Any thoughts/sources are much appreciated.

It is in the dependent origination.
SuyamaDeva born by KusalaVipakaCitta, wholesome resultant, only. That citta is the resultant consciousness, viññāṇa, of the wholesome frabrication, sańkhaāra.
YamaVemanikaPeta born by AkusalaVipakaCitta, unwholesome resultant, only. That citta is the resultant consciousness of wholesome frabrication.
They are completely different.
Only one karma creates all life-basis-resultants (patisandhi, bhavanga, cuti, karmaja-matter) per each rebirth of one whole life however there are many karma cause the resultant citta at the other six senses of life, except those patisandhi, bhavanga, cuti, which created by only one same karma.

The reason of taking note "making bed", "driving", etc.

The specified topic "making bed", is for checking the current situation of the practitioner. The practitioner specifies the current situation to analysis it and to look for the proper solutions that matched with the topic.
What are the proper solutions for the making bed practitioner?

1. Realize the current situation, making bed, state.
2. Finish the making bed event in time.
3. Realize the schedule of events.
4. Concentrate the breath to avoid the unwholesome events, out of the necessary and wholesome event on the schedule.

When the practitioner practices the above analysis proficiently, whole processes above are going to run automatically in time without any conflict.
Above is just the example event and solutions. The practitioner can find more solution in The path of purification Chapter 1,2,3,4, and 8, MN. MahāsatipaṭṭhānaSutta's Commentary.
If the practitioner doesn't want to use so much time to study the text above, the attained-jhāna Tipiṭaka Memorizer teacher, who is Ariya, is required because he can make the specific course syllabus for each practitioner in his head. By this way, the practitioner doesn't study the Pāli by himself.

If one still want to cave in creation, they can enlighten Nibbāna as the Stream-Enterer first.

 Buddhism's greatest achievements and accomplishments are only Enlightening Nibbāna, no caving. The Buddhist people do the other greatest achievements and accomplishments to support the Enlightening Nibbāna. The other greatest achievements and accomplishments are not our ultimate goal.
So, the greatest achievement and accomplishment, core, of Buddhist people are driven to cease all caving. However, if the practitioner can not cease all caving now, the practitioner can choose to cease only three fetters first.
We would have just given up. It's no point of doing anything creative of Arahanta. It's the point of the four noble truth. Buddha teaches to give up everything except the meditation and Nibbāna.
If one still want to cave in creation, they can enlighten Nibbāna as the Stream-Enterer first. That's why we have four pairs of persons.
The meditation steps still the same, contemplating Dukkha in the Dependent Origination cycle to see Anicca Dukkha Anattā clearly, but the meditator attends to cease only three fetters first.

1. Are you still caving to misunderstand in the Dependent Origination?
2. Are you still able to do the Immoral Action, i.e. killing, which inherited from above misunderstood?
3. Are you still doubt, which inherited from above misunderstood, in the Dependent Origination and in people who understood in the Dependent Origination?

It's the way to the cessation of Dukkha, hell, from doing the Immoral Action, i.e. killing, which happens from the misunderstanding in the Dependent Origination.
However, the caving in the other seven fetters still going on, so the Stream-Enterer can create the creative worldly works by the wholesome or unwholesome mind, except three fetters, **while Arahant can create only the four pairs of persons, e.g. clean the floor to let people admire in Buddhist moral and give a chance to listen to Dhamma for the chance of their enlightenment.

The reason that Pāli, e.g. Brahmanimantanikasutta, is quite hard to translate.

That's right. It's a bit hard for the translators. 
1. In a normal context, viññāṇa-noun (or the words in the center or end of sutta like that) appears in the same form before, but in this sutta it came in the different form, jānāti-verb. 
2. Pāli is an oral tradition language. The speaker can abstain the word that already spoken in the previous paragraph because he and the listener are knowing it. But when the others, e.g. Ānanda, listen to it, reciting and the explanation, Atthakathā, is required. 
Therefore, even we can read Pāli and Atthakatha, the reciting and memorizing still required.

Rebirth appears in both sutta and abhidhamma (Paṭisandhi, Okkamati, Jāti); Fear of Rebirth; Sutta-Connection

Related topic: https://unmixedtheravada.blogspot.com/2019/01/consciousness-in-mn-49-dn-11-is-wrong.html

1. MN 38 of Sāti-bhikkhu is about the single consciousness traveling, viññāna-sakkāya-diṭṭhi. It never arises or vanishes, independent form the origination, and can control itself through the new body/life.
   But Paṭisandhi of Abhidhamma is about many various aggregates conditioning each other by many methods.
   

   For the example, a human rebirth has 33 mental factors+1 consciousnesses+30 matters are conascence depending on each other. They all depending on their past karmma mental factor, which depending on its 33 conascence mental factors+1 consciousness+many matters (rebirth from matter-realm). All those consciousnesses, mental factors, and matters also are depending on their uncountable previous arisen consciousnesses, mental factors, and matters. This is just a brief example. There is millions more explanation in 12 briefed abhidhamma-piṭaka-canons. It still is only little Leaves in Buddha's hand

   By the above example, you can see Paṭisandhi, it's conditioners, and it's conditioned things are depending on many other conditioners. They all are not independent, cannot control itself, so it is completely different from MN 38.
   The main idea of Vipassanā Meditation is the practitioner can realize impermanent, suffering, and non-self more and more when the practitioner analyzes aggregates' conditioners more and more in detail.
2. Paṭisandhi, the re-linking, is a term of bh.Sāriputta, the great follower, it often appears in every bh.Sāriputta's canon because he is the representative of the Buddha at Buddha-living-time in AN Ekakanipāta Ekapuggalavagga, so it is his job to explain Buddha's teaching. It appeared in MN Mahāgosiṅgasālasutta that most of the foremost Buddha's followers go listen to Sāriputta's sermon.
3. Buddha uses many various other words which mean "rebirth" instead of bh. Sāriputta's "Paṭisandhi". See my answer in this question, and notice the words using of quoted sutta in that answer, it is using in the next.
4. Bh.Sāriputta defined "Paṭisandhi" from DN 15 Mahāvagga Mahānidānasutta:
   

   Name-&-Form
   “‘From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form.’ Thus it has been said. And this is the way to understand how from consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form. If consciousness were not to descend into the mother’s womb, would name-&-form take shape in the womb?”
   “No, lord.”
   “If, after descending into the womb, consciousness were to depart, would name-&-form be produced for this world?”
   “No, lord.”
   “If the consciousness of the young boy or girl were to be cut off, would name-&-form ripen, grow, and reach maturity?”
   “No, lord.”
   “Thus this is a cause, this is a reason, this is an origination, this is a requisite condition for name-&-form, i.e., consciousness.
   Consciousness
   “From name-&-form as a requisite condition comes consciousness.’ Thus it has been said. And this is the way to understand how from name-&-form as a requisite condition comes consciousness. If consciousness were not to gain a foothold in name-&-form, would a coming-into-play of the origination of birth, aging, death, and stress in the future be discerned?”
   “No, lord.”
   “Thus this is a cause, this is a reason, this is an origination, this is a requisite condition for consciousness, i.e., name-&-form.
   “This is the extent to which there is birth, aging, death, passing away, and re-arising. This is the extent to which there are means of designation, expression, and delineation. This is the extent to which the dimension of discernment extends, the extent to which the cycle revolves for the manifesting [discernibility] of this world—i.e., name-&-form together with consciousness.

5. Buddha didn't answer the ten questions of bh. Māluṅkya in MN CūḷaMāluṅkyOvādasuttaṃ because bh. Māluṅkya, young, was caving four gains at that time. The story appears in MN MahāMāluṅkyOvādasuttaṃ, AN Māluṅkayaputtasuttaṃ when bh.Maluṅkaya got old, KN Thera. MaluṅkayaputtaTheraGathā after old bh.Māluṅkaya enlightened, and you can see in their Atthakathā as well.
   However actually, Buddha already answered it in DN1 Brahmajālasuttaṃ, and Buddha described the dependent origination part of DN1 in DN 15 Mahāvagga Mahānidānasutta quoted above.
6. Even Tipitaka and Atthakathā are written on papers as the public domain license, they still recite&memorize orally in Mahāvihāra Theravāda Buddhist Line, such as Pa-Auk. We never deny people to comment on Tipitaka and Atthakathā, but it's Mahāvihāra Tipiṭaka Memorizer Right to adjust the tipiṭaka users' misunderstood because we have lesser of the lacking in reading because through 2600 years we still recite&memorize Tipitaka and Atthakathā, not just read through.
   The similitude is the chemist who has recited, memorized, and learned about the periodic table and the formulas from the past chemist generation to generation.
7. If one still want to see their past life, your welcome to Pa-Auk monastery. Here you can practice to recalling your past life as long as you can, but you must meditate Jhāna before the recalling step.
8. Actually, abhidhammic people not often talk about the rebirth too much in our daily life because we already have known of the rebirth in detail. People Fear What They Don't Understand, so abhidhammic people have no fear in rebirth either there is the real rebirth or not. We don't debate people to protect "rebirth theory" and "no rebirth theory" because we are not eternalist and nihilism. We just explain people's misunderstood of "rebirth" in tipitaka-pali to keep Tipitaka goes on till 5000 years because the "no rebirth theory" supporters are trying to cut many sutta off Tipiṭaka. This is dangerous equal to the "rebirth theory" supporters try to add the new sutta into Tipiṭaka.
9. Are the "no rebirth theory" supporters are fearing of the rebirth? Why they often talk about the rebirth without the understood of it in detail? Is that ignorant of the rebirth information leading them to be fear of the rebirth? Is it the main cause that they try to cut many sutta about heaven and hell off Tipiṭaka? Is it called doubt-fetter in SN12.20 Paccayasutta?
   

   "When a disciple of the noble ones has seen well with right discernment this dependent co-arising & these dependently co-arisen phenomena as they have come to be, it is not possible that he would run after the past, thinking, 'Was I in the past? Was I not in the past? What was I in the past? How was I in the past? Having been what, what was I in the past?' or that he would run after the future, thinking, 'Shall I be in the future? Shall I not be in the future? What shall I be in the future? How shall I be in the future? Having been what, what shall I be in the future?' or that he would be inwardly perplexed about the immediate present, thinking, 'Am I? Am I not? What am I? How am I? Where has this being come from? Where is it bound?' Such a thing is not possible. Why is that? Because the disciple of the noble ones has seen well with right discernment this dependent co-arising & these dependently co-arisen phenomena as they have come to be."

The difference of ĀnāpānassatiSutta and KāyagatāsatiSutta

1. It doesn't mean "awareness of body sensations" in both sutta.

   It means "The practitioner should meditate ānāpānassati every time, no when&where is an exception (walking, sitting, standing, lying down, bending etc.)"

   "Awareness of sensations" is virtual, IndriyaSaṅvaraSīla, and concentration meditation, Samādhi.

   However, the Anupassanā meditation of sensations is in Vedanā-Cittā-DhammāNupassanāSaṭipaṭṭhāna of MN Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta. This section is about the comprehension of nāmas' origin.

2. Buddha taught only the first 1-4/16 steps (Samatha-meditation part) of ānāpānassati to the practitioner who interested in the beginning of the Ānapānassati-meditation, which was talked in the current conversation at the origin of Sutta. Ma. U. Kāyagatāsatisuttaṃ (body/kāya and sati in this sutta refer to kāya-anupassanā-satipaṭṭhāna):

   "Just now, lord, after the meal, on returning from our alms round, we gathered at the meeting hall when this discussion arose: 'Isn't it amazing, friends! Isn't it astounding! — the extent to which mindfulness immersed in the body, when developed & pursued, is said by the Blessed One who knows, who sees — the worthy one, rightly self-awakened — to be of great fruit & great benefit.' This was the discussion that had come to no conclusion when the Blessed One arrived."

   But Buddha taught the full version of ānāpānassati-meditation to Taruṇa-Vipassaka, the practitioners who had already meditated the first 1-4/16 (Samatha-meditation part) of ānāpānassati in the Buddhist Lent of Sutta. Ma. U. Ānāpānasatisuttaṃ, however, it was the end of that Buddhist Lent when they would go to the next step, the other 5-16/16 (vipassanā-meditation part).

   So Buddha decided to remain at Savatthi for another month, pavāranā saṅgha, to turn those Taruṇa-Vipassakas enlighten Nibbāna easier by the other 5-16/16 (vipassanā-meditation part) between that the Buddhist Lent before they transport to the other country after Buddhist Lent because the transportation will make those Taruṇa-Vipassakas meditation dropping down. Then those practitioners enlightened in time, so Buddha concluded the 16 steps Ānāpānassati-meditation of those practitioners as the main content of Sutta. Ma. U. Ānāpānasatisuttaṃ.

   ...

   "Monks, I am content with this practice. I am content at heart with this practice. So arouse even more intense persistence for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. I will remain right here at Savatthi [for another month] through the 'White Water-lily' Month, the fourth month of the rains."

   ...

   Now on that occasion — the Uposatha day of the fifteenth, the full-moon night of the White Water-lily Month, the fourth month of the rains — the Blessed One was seated in the open air surrounded by the community of monks. Surveying the silent community of monks (the silent means all practitioners there have already enlightened and sitting with attainment in Phala-Samāpatti), he addressed them:

   ...

   "In this community of monks there are monks who remain devoted to mindfulness of in-&-out breathing.

   ...(full 16 steps of ānāpanassati meditation)...

the craving-practice leads to the origin of feeling

From SN 36.23:

Paṭipadā is placing at the same position of upādāna (clinging), so we can find the answer in the sutta that including clinging, craving, and feeling together, such as the four noble truth in Sutta. See Saṃ. Ma. DhammacakkappavattanaSutta:

"Now this, monks, is the noble truth of stress:1 Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful; association with the unbeloved is stressful, separation from the loved is stressful, not getting what is wanted is stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.
"And this, monks, is the noble truth of the origination of stress: the craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there — i.e., craving for sensual pleasure, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming.

The feeling is an aggregate, and the craving origins clinging-aggregates, so the practicing of craving origin the feeling aggregate. See Sutta. Ma. U. Mahāpuṇṇamasuttaṃ:

"Monk, these are the five clinging-aggregates, i.e., form as a clinging-aggregate, feeling... perception... fabrications... consciousness as a clinging-aggregate."

Therefore, the last question in SN 36.23 is about the noble eightfold path of the four noble truth:

Q:What’s the origin of feeling? katamā nu kho, bhante, vedanā?
...
A: Feeling originates from contact. Phassasamudayā vedanāsamudayo.
...
Q: What’s the practice that leads to the origin of feeling? katamo vedanāsamudayo, katamā vedanāsamudayagāminī paṭipadā?
...
A: Craving is the practice that leads to the origin of feeling. Taṇhā vedanāsamudayagāminī paṭipadā.
...
Q: What’s the cessation of feeling? Katamo vedanānirodho?
...
A: When contact ceases, feeling ceases. Phassanirodhā vedanānirodho.
...
Q: What’s the practice that leads to the cessation of feeling? katamā vedanānirodhagāminī paṭipadā?
...
A: The practice that leads to the cessation of feelings is simply this
noble eightfold path, that is:
Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo vedanānirodhagāminī paṭipadā,
seyyathidaṃ—
right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.
sammādiṭṭhi … pe … sammāsamādhi.
...

The explanation of SN 35.23 Sabba Sutta in ṢaḷāyatanaVagga

0. History base knowledge about wrong and right view: See SarathW's Answer.
Then:

1. Why are these called "The All": the eye & forms, ear & sounds, nose & aromas, tongue & flavors, body & tactile sensations, intellect & ideas?
2. Why someone trying to explain "The All" as being something else would fail?
3. What does "it lies beyond range" mean?

The wrong view has the wrong condition(s). The right view has the right condition(s). The all right condition is the dependent origination, because the conditioner and the conditioned relate each other in balance, nothing left out of the cycle of the condition.
the dependent origination explains "Thus arises this whole mass of dukkha".
Each conditioner of the dependent origination causes the whole conditioned effect. For the example, ... the (Six-)Saḷāyatanas-conditioner causes the whole conditioned Six-Phassa; The Six-Phassa-conditioner cause the conditioned six-vedanā ...
So, if one, who questioned, explains the All, whole, into the dependent origination as the Buddha did, that one is able to explain the whole from the beginning to the end follow to the dependent origination such as the Buddha can explain every view in Sutta. Tī. Sī Brahmajālasuttaṃ.
But if one, who questioned, explains the All, whole, out of the dependent origination, that one would be unable to explain, and furthermore, would feel hard to answer (fail). Why? Because it is beyond that one's abilities, he exactly answers the wrong condition (fail), i.e. God condition the being.
SN KhandhaVagga and SN ṢaḷāyatanaVagga, such as SabbaSutta, come after SN Nidānavagga, the dependent origination because they are the whole elements which cycling in the dependent origination.

Buddhism's Existing Period Counting

The contexts about Buddhism's Existing Period Counting appear as 3 tenses in Aṭṭakathā:
1. The existing enlightenment of the current Buddha's follower (45BBE - about 5,000 BE):
Buddhism's existing period counting of current Buddha according to Vinaya.A. (samanta.3) Bhikkhunikkhandhakavaṇṇanā, An.A. (manoratha.1) Dutiyapamadadivaggavannana:
1st 1000 years after Gotama, Current Buddha, died:

Arahanta with Four Analytical Knowledges still occur=>

2nd 1000 years after GotamaSambuddha died:

Arahanta with Six Higher Knowledges still occur=>
Arahanta with Three Clear Knowledges still occur=>
Arahanta via Insight-only still occur=>>

3rd 1000 years after GotamaSambuddha died:

Anāgāmi with Four Analytical Knowledges still occur=>
Anāgāmi with Six Higher Knowledges still occur=>
Anāgāmi with Three Clear Knowledges still occur=>
Anāgāmi via Insight-only still occur=>>

4th 1000 years after GotamaSambuddha died:

Sakadāgāmi with Four Analytical Knowledges still occur=>
Sakadāgāmi with Six Higher Knowledges still occur=>
Sakadāgāmi with Three Clear Knowledges still occur=>
Sakadāgāmi via Insight-only still occur=>>

Final 1000 years after GotamaSambuddha died:

Sotāpanna with Four Analytical Knowledges still occur=>
Sotāpanna with Six Higher Knowledges still occur=>
Sotāpanna with Three Clear Knowledges still occur=>
Sotāpanna via Insight-only still occurs until the end of final 1000 years.

2. The previous KassapaBuddha (uncountable millions of years ago):
KassapaSamBuddha's, previous Buddha's, Buddhism existing period counting appear in Di.A. (sumangala.3) Sampasadaniyasuttavaṇṇanā; It using the past tense verbs). And Saṃ.A. (sārattha.2) Saddhammappaṭirūpakasuttavaṇṇanā, which connects to that Sampasadaniyasuttavaṇṇanā:
1st 1000 years after Kassapa, previous Buddha, died:

Arahanta with Four Analytical Knowledges still occur=>

2rd 1000 years after Kassapa, previous Buddha, died:

Arahanta with Six Higher Knowledges still occur=>

3th 1000 years after Kassapa, previous Buddha, died:

Arahanta with Three Clear Knowledges still occur=>

4th 1000 years after Kassapa, previous Buddha, died:

Arahanta via Insight-only still occur=>>

Final 1000 years after Kassapa, previous Buddha, died:

Pāṭimokkha memorizer still occurs until the end of final 1000 years.

3. The current Buddha's living time (45 - 0 BBE):
The sequence of existing enlightenment of the Buddha's followers just in current alive buddha's time, not died, appear in Saṃ.A. (sārattha.2) Saddhammappaṭirūpakasuttavaṇṇanā.It's explaining the Buddha's answer to KassapaThera's question in Sutta. Saṃ. Ni. Saddhammappaṭirūpakasutta:

"What is the cause, lord, what is the reason, why before there were fewer training rules and yet more monks established in final gnosis, whereas now there are more training rules and yet fewer monks established in final gnosis?"

At alive GotamaSamBuddha's time after he has enlightened, at the beginning Arahanta with Four Analytical Knowledges still occur. As time went by Arahanta with Six Higher Knowledges still occur Arahanta with Three Clear Knowledges still occur. As time went by Arahanta via Insight-only still occur. As time went by Anāgāmī still occur. As time went by Sakadāgāmi still occur. As time went by Sotāpanna still occur. As time went by Sīpavanta still occur.

---

A short term of all above Buddha's periods are up and down depending on the situation, but it tends to go down in long-term of every period. It's something like this:

Cr. wikipedia

Is suffering dependent on aging & death? If so, how is suffering experienced before & after death?

If death must occur for sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress & despair to come into play; what is the cause for people having sorrow, grief & despair before death, i.e., in the present moment?

If death must occur for sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress & despair to come into play; is sorrow, grief & despair only experienced after death?

Aging & death must come together to show "if you born without unstable, it's ok. But actually, your life is unstable because it's going to be aging & death, it's not ok. Because while you are living, birth+aging+death, you are going to have sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress & despair to come into play aging & death."

Pali context only shows birth causes "aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress & despair to come into play". Nothing in pāli context shows aging & death cause "sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress & despair to come into play".

jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṃ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti.

So, your both questions are misunderstood pali context. There is nothing in pali context shows "death must occur for sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress & despair to come into play". Pāli only shows birth causes "aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress & despair to come into play".

In the other hand by pāli context, the sequence of paṭiccasamuppāda is "birth >> aging&death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress & despair to come into play". It is not "birth >> aging >> death >> sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress & despair to come into play".

What does “sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā” mean in AN 9.12?

1. What does "sattakkhattuparama" mean literally and non-literally?

sattakkhattuparama = not more than seven times.

Why did he include rebirth into his translation?

Because of the context below which come before "sattakkhattuparama" and being on the same topic:

There are these nine people who, dying with something left over, are exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.

Navayime, sāriputta, puggalā saupādisesā kālaṃ kurumānā parimuttā nirayā parimuttā tiracchānayoniyā parimuttā pettivisayā parimuttā apāyaduggativinipātā.

...

With the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, they’re a once-returner. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering.

So tiṇṇaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā rāgadosamohānaṃ tanuttā sakadāgāmī hoti, sakideva imaṃ lokaṃ āgantvā dukkhassantaṃ karoti.

...

With the ending of three fetters, they’re a one-seeder. They will be reborn just one time in a human existence, then make an end of suffering.

So tiṇṇaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā ekabījī hoti, ekaṃyeva mānusakaṃ bhavaṃ nibbattetvā dukkhassantaṃ karoti.

...

With the ending of three fetters, they go family to family. They will transmigrate between two or three families and then make an end of suffering.

So tiṇṇaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā kolaṅkolo hoti, dve vā tīṇi vā kulāni sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā dukkhassantaṃ karoti.

Next question:

2. What is the meaning of the phrase "sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā" in this quote? How does it relate to "sattakkhattuparama"?

saṃsaritvā is the synonym of sandhāvitvā. sandhāvitvā means transmigrate, transport, move next.

Translation: Person (puggalo) moves next(sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā) not more than seven times (sattakkhattuparamaṃ) in deva [bhava] and human [bhava] (deve ca manusse ca) and then make the end of suffering (dukkhassantaṃ karoti).

3. Is the phrase "sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā" used in other suttas, without being connected to "sattakkhattuparama"? What does it mean there? What is the context there?

Comepare with "sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā" in MN Sandakasutta. It's context means "move to next life (rebirth)":

There are 1.4 million main wombs, and 6,000, and 600. There are 500 deeds, and five, and three. There are deeds and half-deeds. There are 62 paths, 62 sub-eons, six classes of rebirth, and eight stages in a person’s life. There are 4,900 Ājīvaka ascetics, 4,900 wanderers, and 4,900 naked ascetics. There are 2,000 faculties, 3,000 hells, and 36 realms of dust. There are seven percipient embryos, seven non-percipient embryos, and seven embryos without attachments. There are seven gods, seven humans, and seven goblins. There are seven lakes, seven winds, seven cliffs, and 700 cliffs. There are seven dreams and 700 dreams. There are 8.4 million great eons through which the foolish and the astute transmigrate before making an end of suffering.

Cuddasa kho panimāni yonipamukhasatasahassāni saṭṭhi ca satāni cha ca satāni pañca ca kammuno satāni pañca ca kammāni tīṇi ca kammāni, kamme ca aḍḍhakamme ca, dvaṭṭhipaṭipadā, dvaṭṭhantarakappā, chaḷābhijātiyo, aṭṭha purisabhūmiyo, ekūnapaññāsa ājīvakasate, ekūnapaññāsa paribbājakasate, ekūnapaññāsa nāgāvāsasate, vīse indriyasate, tiṃse nirayasate, chattiṃsa rajodhātuyo, satta saññīgabbhā, satta asaññīgabbhā, satta nigaṇṭhigabbhā, satta devā, satta mānusā, satta pesācā, satta sarā, satta pavuṭā, satta papātā, satta papātasatāni, satta supinā, satta supinasatāni, cullāsīti mahākappino satasahassāni, yāni bāle ca paṇḍite ca sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā dukkhassantaṃ karissanti.

Next question:

4. Can I say that "sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā" supports the interpretation of "sattakkhattuparama" as "seven lifetimes" or "seven rebirths"?

Actually, it is just a sign of many signs. Actually, the whole context of sutta supports the interpretation of "sattakkhattuparamo" as "person who has seven lifetimes left" or "person who has seven rebirths left". There are many signs to translate like that for the example:

With the ending of three fetters, they’re a one-seeder. They will be reborn just one time in a human existence, then make an end of suffering.

So tiṇṇaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā ekabījī hoti, ekaṃyeva mānusakaṃ bhavaṃ nibbattetvā dukkhassantaṃ karoti.

1. Above quote's link is liking with many other suttas which force the translator to translate "ekaṃyeva bhavaṃ nibbattetvā" as "will be reborn just one time".
2. When the previous context translated "ekaṃyeva bhavaṃ nibbattetvā" as "will be reborn just one time", the next context have to translate follow it, too.

Person (puggalo) moves next(sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā) not more than seven times (sattakkhattuparamaṃ) in deva [bhava] and human [bhava] (deve ca manusse ca) and then make the end of suffering (dukkhassantaṃ karoti).

I have to add 1 more question to complete this answer:

5. Why the buddha didn't use "nibbattetvā" with all person? Why the buddha used "sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā" instead?

"Ekabījī (one-seeder)" will be reborn just one time (ekaṃyeva bhavaṃ nibbattetvā), but the next others will reborn multiple times. "sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā" often use in multiple time rebirths.

Saupādisesasutta:

With the ending of three fetters, they’re a one-seeder. They will be reborn just one time in a human existence, then make an end of suffering.

So tiṇṇaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā ekabījī hoti, ekaṃyeva mānusakaṃ bhavaṃ nibbattetvā dukkhassantaṃ karoti.

...

With the ending of three fetters, they go family to family. They will transmigrate between two or three families and then make an end of suffering.

So tiṇṇaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā kolaṅkolo hoti, dve vā tīṇi vā kulāni sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā dukkhassantaṃ karoti.

...

With the ending of three fetters, they have at most seven rebirths. They will transmigrate at most seven times among devas and humans and then make an end of suffering.

So tiṇṇaṃ saṃyojanānaṃ parikkhayā sattakkhattuparamo hoti, sattakkhattuparamaṃ deve ca manusse ca sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā dukkhassantaṃ karoti.

MN Sandakasutta:

There are 1.4 million main wombs, and 6,000, and 600. There are 500 deeds, and five, and three. There are deeds and half-deeds. There are 62 paths, 62 sub-eons, six classes of rebirth, and eight stages in a person’s life. There are 4,900 Ājīvaka ascetics, 4,900 wanderers, and 4,900 naked ascetics. There are 2,000 faculties, 3,000 hells, and 36 realms of dust. There are seven percipient embryos, seven non-percipient embryos, and seven embryos without attachments. There are seven gods, seven humans, and seven goblins. There are seven lakes, seven winds, seven cliffs, and 700 cliffs. There are seven dreams and 700 dreams. There are 8.4 million great eons through which the foolish and the astute transmigrate before making an end of suffering.

Cuddasa kho panimāni yonipamukhasatasahassāni saṭṭhi ca satāni cha ca satāni pañca ca kammuno satāni pañca ca kammāni tīṇi ca kammāni, kamme ca aḍḍhakamme ca, dvaṭṭhipaṭipadā, dvaṭṭhantarakappā, chaḷābhijātiyo, aṭṭha purisabhūmiyo, ekūnapaññāsa ājīvakasate, ekūnapaññāsa paribbājakasate, ekūnapaññāsa nāgāvāsasate, vīse indriyasate, tiṃse nirayasate, chattiṃsa rajodhātuyo, satta saññīgabbhā, satta asaññīgabbhā, satta nigaṇṭhigabbhā, satta devā, satta mānusā, satta pesācā, satta sarā, satta pavuṭā, satta papātā, satta papātasatāni, satta supinā, satta supinasatāni, cullāsīti mahākappino satasahassāni, yāni bāle ca paṇḍite ca sandhāvitvā saṃsaritvā dukkhassantaṃ karissanti.

Did the Buddha ever define what he meant by “self”?

Anattalakkhaṇasutta is a short sutta for "self" explanation. 

Brahmajālasutta is a long sutta. 

All abhidhamma, especially paṭṭhāna, are "non self" explanation. This is the longest explanation. 

If you can't understand "self" by all of these sutta, it means your pali skill is lacking.

Jhāna meditation defination

I am so sorry for the long answer. It's required all of this knowledge to understand the meditation's idea.

What is jhāna?

Jhāna (concentration meditation) is the meditation method to cease the desire (chanda-rāga) of the world (loka) by changing mind's attention to the opposite object of the world.

What is the world?

Living being (satta) is the world (loka), 5 clinging-aggregates (upādāna-khandha[1][2]).

Loka means breakable thing. And what we can notice 3 characteristics must be break, breakable. What is unstable (anicca), stressful (dukkha), and non-self (anattā) is what we can notice it's instability-characteristic (anicca-lakkhaṇa), e.g. it's arising and vanishing, stress-characteristic, e.g. it's stressing to arise and to vanish in every millisecond, and uncontrollable characteristic, e.g. it's variant variables.

Each aggregate has 3 characteristics, so every aggregate (pañca-khandha) is breakable, and it is called Loka. There are 2 kinds of breakable aggregates, lokiya (with clinging) and lokuttara (no clinging). However the practitioner should comprehend only clinging aggregates (upādāna-khandha) to meditate insight meditation, Buddha called clinging aggregates (upādāna-khandha), in first noble truth, not only aggregates (khandha).

The genius people can notice 3 characteristics of every living being, so they try to cease all possible cases of living beings' rebirth by the meditation.

There are many method of the meditation of those genius people which doing the difference methods and each method causes the difference results, some is not able to pause any world, some can pause 5 string world (kāma loka), some can pause form concept world (rūpa loka), some can cease all worlds (kāma loka/rūpa loka/arūpa loka).

How many kinds of jhāna?

There are 3 kinds of jhāna:

1. Form jhāna (rūpa jhāna) - meditation of changing mind's attention form five strings world (kāma-loka) to form's concept world (rūpa-paññatti-loka) to disable 5 sense attachments arising (kāmachandarāga). This meditation's step, 1st-4th jhāna, pause attachment of five strings and mental factors which can drop the quality of concentration down to five strings world. The attained people are going to reborn in the world without five string attachment, but it still has forms, such as eyes to watch the form to meditate rūpa-jhāna.
2. Formless jhāna (arūpa jhāna) - meditation of changing mind's attention form form's concept world to formless world (arūpa-loka) to disable all form arising, which make rūpa jhāna&world still nearby five strings attachment. This meditation change the object to detach from mind and mental factors (arūpa-loka) as much as they can. However, it's useless, the number of mental factors still be the same, 30 factors, from the 1st formless jhāna to the 4th formless jhāna. The attained people are going to reborn in the world without form, but it still have mind and mental factors (nāma-khandha).
3. Three characteristic jhāna (lakkhaṇa-jhāna) - vipassanā; insight meditation. Meditation of changing mind's attention form all worlds to nibbāna (cessation of world). The attained magga people do not reborn any more in maximum 7 rebirths.

Jhāna bases vipassanā, especially for the practitioner who attach five strings strongly (taṇhā-carita).

How to disable 5 sense attachment?

Keeping the sixth sense mind on concept object (paññatti;paṭibhāga-nimitta) by practice to change the the sixth sense memory of the five strings (kāmaguṇa) to concept object (paññatti;paṭibhāga-nimitta) then meditate that practice to go on for a long period, a hour or a day.

How to disable all form arising?

Keeping the sixth sense mind on the object which has no any relation with form (arūpa) by practice to change the the sixth sense memory of form concept (rūpa-paññatti;paṭibhāga-nimitta) to formless object (arūpa) then meditate that practice to go on for a long period, a hour or a day.

What is the problem?

The jhāna practitioner still keep the self attachment of their meditation mind&mind factors as "it's mine. It's me, not the other. It's myself, so I can control it". This is the reason why we need Buddha.

---

See Ma.Mu. Cūḷasīhanādasutta, Mahādukkhakkhandhasutta, the path of purification in pathavīkasiṇa chapter and aruppā chapter, and this article.

What is the meaning behind saṅghānussati chant?

For the meaning of saṅghānussati in advance, see Part II—Concentration (Samádhi) CH. VII SIX RECOLLECTIONS Recollection of the Saṅgha page 215.

We should be used with the tree refuges according to Sutta. Ma. U. Sevitabbāsevitabbasuttaṃ:

It was said, "Sāriputta, I say, persons are also twofold those that should be used and not used" On account of what was it said by the Blessed One? Venerable sir, when using certain persons demerit increases and merit decreases, such persons should not be used, when using certain persons demerit decreases and merit increases, such persons should be used. It was said, "Sāriputta, persons too are twofold, those that should be used and not used. " It was said on account of this.

Why? Sutta. Khu. Jā.(1) Vīsatinipātajātakaṃ Sattigumbajātakaṃ:

“To whomsoever, good or bad, a man shall honour pay, Vicious or virtuous, that man holds him beneath his sway.

“Like as the comrade one admires, like as the chosen friend, Such will become the man who keeps beside him, in the end.

“Friendship makes like, and touch by touch infects, you’ll find it true: Poison the arrow, and ere long the quiver’s poisoned too.

“The wise eschews bad company, for fear of staining touch: Wrap rotten fish in grass, you’ll find the grass stinks just as much. And they who keep fool’s company themselves will soon be such.

“Sweet frankincense wrap in a leaf, the leaf will smell as sweet. So they themselves will soon grow wise, that sit at wise men’s feet.

“By this similitude the wise should his own profit know, Let him eschew bad company and with the righteous go: Heaven waits the righteous, but the bad are doomed to hell below.”

Shyness is Coward; prompted.

Shyness is Coward; prompted.
In abhidhamma, minds and mental factor of sasaṅkhārika (prompted) mind is coward.

What is sasaṅkhārika (prompted)? (src)

12. Sankhārika-
    This is purely a technical term used in a specific sense in the Abhidhamma. It is formed of 'sam', well and Ö 'kar', to do, to prepare, to accomplish. Literally, it means accomplishing, preparing, arranging.
    Like dhamma, sankhāra also is a multi-significant term. Its precise meaning is to be understood according to the context.
    When used as one of the five 'aggregates' (pañcakkhandha), it refers to all the mental states, except vedanā and saññā. In the paticca-samuppāda it is applied to all moral and immoral activities, good and bad thoughts. When sankhāra is used to signify that which is subject to change, sorrow, etc., it is invariably applied to all conditioned things.
    In this particular instance the term is used with 'sa' = co-; and a = un, Sa-sankhārika (lit., with effort) is that which is prompted, instigated, or induced by oneself or by another. 'Asankhārika' (lit., without effort) is that which is thus unaffected, but done spontaneously.
    If, for instance, one does an act, induced by another, or after much deliberation or premeditation on one's part, then it is sa-sankhārika. If, on the contrary, one does it instantly without any external or internal inducement, or any premeditation, then it is asankhārika.

How can the practitioner comprehends shyness?

the practitioner must comprehends below mind, it's mental factors, and the matters born of those mind&mental factors to comprehend shyness:

4 prompted attaching mind (src)

Attaching consciousness, prompted, accompanied by pleasure, connected with wrong view,
Attaching consciousness, prompted, accompanied by pleasure, disconnected with wrong view
Attaching consciousness, prompted, accompanied by indifference, connected with wrong view
Attaching consciousness, prompted, accompanied by indifference, disconnected with wrong view

Mental factors: Twenty-two factors enter into combination - namely, thirteen aññasamānas, and 3 greed mental factors, 2 boring mental factors, and 4 ignorant mental factors (13 + 3 + 2 + 4 = 22)

1 prompted rudeness mind (src)

Rudeness consciousness, prompted, accompanied by displeasure, connected with ill-will

Mental factors: Twenty-two factors enter into combination - namely, twelve aññasamānas, and 4 angry mental factors, 2 boring mental factors, and 4 ignorant mental factors (12 + 4 + 2 + 4 = 22)

12 prompted wholesome mind (src)

Beautiful consciousness, prompted, accompanied by pleasure, associated with knowledge. x3 (wholesome, resultant, kiriyā)
Beautiful consciousness, prompted, accompanied by pleasure, dissociated with knowledge, x3
Beautiful consciousness, prompted, accompanied by indifference, associated with knowledge,x3
Beautiful consciousness, prompted, accompanied by indifference, dissociated with knowledge.x3

Mental factors: thirty-six factors enter into combination - namely, thirteen aññasamānas, and twenty-five beautiful mental factors (13 + 25 = 38)

Anupubbīkathā is an over long sutta

Ugga-richman, lay, said in Sutta. Aṅ. (4): aṭṭhaka-nipātā:

With confident heart I paid homage to the Buddha. The Buddha taught me step by step (anupubbikakathā), with a talk on giving, ethical conduct, and heaven. He explained the drawbacks of sensual pleasures, so sordid and corrupt, and the benefit of renunciation. And when he knew that my mind was ready, pliable, rid of hindrances, joyful, and confident he explained the special teaching of the Buddhas: suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. Just as a clean cloth rid of stains would properly absorb dye, in that very seat the stainless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma arose in me: ‘Everything(suffering) which is arise by the origins(samudaya), has an end.’ I saw, attained, understood, and fathomed the Dhamma. I went beyond doubt, got rid of indecision, and became self-assured and independent of others regarding the Teacher’s instructions. Right there I went for refuge to the Buddha, his teaching, and the Saṅgha. And I undertook the five training rules with celibacy as the fifth. This is the second incredible and amazing quality found in me.

After listened anupubbīkathā, some listener can enlighten "dhammacakkhuṃ", i.e. from DN Sāmaññaphalasuttaṃ:

So King Ajatasattu, delighting and rejoicing in the Blessed One's words, rose from his seat, bowed down to him, and — after circumambulating him — left. Not long after King Ajatasattu had left, the Blessed One addressed the monks: "The king is wounded, monks. The king is incapacitated. Had he not killed his father — that righteous man, that righteous king — the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye would have arisen to him as he sat in this very seat."

You can search more result by yourself with word "dhammacakkhu", "anupubbika" and "anupuppīka".

There are many place like that in tipitaka, so Buddha exactly taught four noble truth to the lay. The required questions are:

1. What is anupubbīkathā?
2. Why Buddha often taught anupubbīkathā to a lay?
3. Why the first saṅgāyanā monks have to separate anupubbīkathā as may partitions?
4. Why some people think Buddha never taught meditation to a lay?

1. What is anupubbīkathā?

1. Anupubbīkatha, in pāli canons, is the sequence teaching, story, or history. See, each searching results from tipitaka and atthakathā.

2. Anupubbīkathā, in tipitaka context, the single time teaching of entire instructional sequence. It is the very long sutta which describing about buddhist practitioner's procedure, such as single time teaching of KN Khu Nidhikaṇḍaṃ (with some commentary) + AN Uposathasuttaṃ (with some commentary) + DN Sāmaññaphalasuttaṃ (with some commentary). You can see that is over long to orally recite.

2. Why Buddha often taught anupubbīkathā to lay?

Buddha taught anupubbikathā to everyone, not only lay, because every practitioner must practice step by step. No one can practice without sequence like a fog. See, MN Majjhimapaṇṇāsaka Kīṭāgirisutta Number 238.

However for a newbie lay who is genius, buddha taught him from the beginning step to the end in single time, such as single time teaching of KN Khu Nidhikaṇḍaṃ (with some commentary) + AN Uposathasuttaṃ (with some commentary) + DN Sāmaññaphalasuttaṃ (with some commentary).

You can see that is over long to orally recite.

That's why we can't find the single sutta of anupubbīkathā, in tipitaka context, or even in atthakathā as well. So, in atthakathā comment of anupubbīkathā:

Anupubbīkathā is sequence of teaching and commentary of dāna subjects then sīla subjects then heaven subjects then practitioner's procedure.

But the buddha&teacher taught a shorter and more complex sutta to the insider lay man&lay woman, upāsaka and upāsikā, because they have enough ability and knowledge to learn the higher level, e.g. AN Dānasutta. You can see that sutta is shorter and more complex, included only charity and the Path. It is anupubbīkathā, but it is not the meaning of "anupubbīkathā" word in the context like Sutta. Aṅ. (4): aṭṭhaka-nipātā.

3. Why the first saṅgāyanā monks have to separate anupubbīkathā as may partitions?

The first saṅgāyanā monks chose "anupubbikathā" words to avoid the over long of sutta. Because most of lay at that time don't have much knowledge for an enlightenment, buddha have to taught them very long sutta (maybe more that DN) and mix many contents to let them enlighten as sotāpanna, or trust to dhamma. So, if the first saṅgāyanā monks didn't separate it to be many smaller sutta, it will be over long and unable to orally reciting study.

The evidence from netti vicayahārasampāta:

587. Herein, the Lord Buddha advises one of keen faculties with advice in brief; the Lord Buddha advises one of medium faculties with advice in brief and detail; the Lord Buddha advises one of blunt faculties with advice in detail.

4. Why some people think Buddha never taught meditation to a lay?

Because they are misunderstanding of anupubbikathā. And they don't know how to read teaching as four noble truth, because they never memorize netti, or never attained any professional knowledge, ñāṇa, from tipitaka-memorizer&jhānalābhī school, such as Pa-Auk.

Every noble one must enlightened four noble truth, but it is not every ordinary people can discover the noble truth from tipitaka. People who can understand the noble truth from tipitaka must can deconflict every uncleared word of tipitaka. This is unable for people who can't memorize tipitaka pali and netti, because it needs nirutti-paṭisambhidā to deconflict the whole tipitaka.

For the example from VN Mahāvagga by assachi arahanta to sāriputta, who enlightened as sotāpanna:

Ye dhammā hetupabhavā (dukkha) tesaṃ hetuṃ (samudaya) tathāgato āha
tesañca yo nirodho (nirodha&magga) evaṃvādī mahāsamaṇo.

‘Those things(suffering) which proceed from a cause, of these the Truthfinder has told the cause(origin), And that which is their stopping (cessation&path)— the great recluse has such a doctrine.’”

Or in Sāmaññaphalasuttaṃ, which king Ajātasattu almost enlightened as sotāpanna, it is included vipassanāñaṇa part (brief dukkha), pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇa+cutūpapātañāṇa (extended dukkha), āsavakkhayañāṇa (samudaya+nirodha), and all practitioner's procedures in this sutta are magga.

All above is the example of how to read the noble truth in tipitaka.

Buddhist Jhanas, how to describe them?

In addition to primary sources that discuss what this phenomena is, how would you describe what the Jhanas are to a person unfamiliar with any sort of meditation practice?

Jhanas are the practice to pause the present unwholesome mind. While jhāna mind are arising, there are no any wholesome mind can arise, whole hours or whole day. Jhāna is basis of insight meditation.

How do they differ across different sects/schools?

They are same in meditation. It just difference in a few detail.

How are they viewed sociologically or philosophically from OUTSIDE the lens of a practitioner or one who believes in the concept of enlightenment to begin with?

The jhāna practitioner looks very judicious, worshipful.

TL; DR seeking primary source information on Jhanas/Dhyanas. What is their history? How do they differ across schools/sects? How would an outsider or an academic understand them?

• Path of Purification https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanamoli/PathofPurification2011.pdf
• Path of Freedom
  http://urbandharma.org/pdf1/Path_of_Freedom_Vimuttimagga.pdf
• Pa-Auk tawya Monastery
  http://122.155.190.19/revata/index.php?option=com_sectionex&view=category&id=6&Itemid=108#catid8

Howto count down for enlightenment follow the end of mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta

Is it exaggeration, translation problem or understanding problem or it's true?

The translation is fine, but the reader must know the environment and situation of that sutta, before read it. If the reader read it without the pre-required knowledge, it is the reader's fail.

The explanation

In atthakathā of MN 10 wrote:

Why Buddha taught mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta to Kuru-people? Because they had enough ability to study the advance teaching. It's told that Kuru-people, such as bhikkhu, bhikkhunī, lay men, and lay women, always had the potential body and the potential mind because Kuru-country had the richness of temperature, etc. Their potential body and potential mind supported their wisdom power, so they can studied the advance teaching.

So, most Kuru-people were diṭṭhi-cārita, who have little dust in their eyes, according to netti desanāhāravibhaṅga.

The diṭṭhi-cārita people can attain jhāna easily. So they don't have to meditate jhāna because of their pure mind. They can enlighten at the listening moment. That's why in the end of mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta's atthakathā wrote:

30,000 people enlightened as arahanta at the end of mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta was taught.

therefore, the end of mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta wrote:

Let alone seven years, anyone who develops these four kinds of mindfulness meditation in this way for six years … five years … four years … three years … two years … one year … seven months … six months … five months … four months … three months … two months … one month … a fortnight … Let alone a fortnight, anyone who develops these four kinds of mindfulness meditation in this way for seven days can expect one of two results: enlightenment in the present life, or if there’s something left over, non-return.

But for taṇhā-carita people,who have much dust in their eyes, they have to meditate jhāna, first. After they attained jhāna, they can count down for enlightenment like what buddha taught in the end of mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta. Because jhāna can pause their five hindrances, then their "dust in eyes" state will be same little dust as diṭṭhi-carita and they are able to count down for enlightenment.

Lord Buddha and Chakravartin

Cakkavatti is a perfect king. Everybody, included Buddha, have been Cakkavatti before uncountable times.

Buddha doesn't has next life anymore, but Cakkavatti still reborn.