A concentrated monk discerns things as they actually are?

It depend on your theravāda-tipitaka culture skill. Your question begin from reading study system. Although you trust in abhidhamma and commentary, but the question still going on. Because the reading let you lose many tipitaka culture which is require to access the tipitaka's content.

Samādhiṃ bhikkhave bhāvetha . samāhito bhikkhave bhikkhu Yathābhūtaṃ pajānāti .
Develop concentration, monks. A concentrated monk (not meditating concentration monk) discerns things as they actually are present.

Also, in abhidhamma, 3 characterizes are concepts, paññatti, too. 6th's and 8th jhāna's objects are reality, too. Another, both jhāna-mind and vipassana-mind must be arising with paññā.
So, it doesn't means paññā can understand only reality, but it means paññā understanding both the concept-object, such as 3 characterizes or jhāna-object, and the reality-object, such as 5 aggregates and nibbāna, as each object is.
But the main object of each meditation is difference. The vipassanā-meditation require the reality-object as the main object, because 3 characterizes are the concepts of reality-object, 5 aggregates in paṭiccasamuppāda cycle.
Therefore, the vipassanā practitioner require reality-object to understand the 3 characterizes concept.
Note: most of sources from the path of purification, concentration meditation chapter, and abhidhammatthasaṅgaha 8th/9 chapters. You can require me the pāli, if the translation version is not understandable enough.

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The concept, paññatti, is almost the hardest part of tipitaka. I try to explain it to everyone. But just the jhāna&vipassanā-teachers in tipitaka-memorizer-school, such as pa-auk forest monastery, can understand it. After you understand the concept, paññatti, you will receive the actually open-mind, which is very important tool to destroy 3 below saṅyojana.
Another, no translation good enough for me, included my translation, because no just one translation can keep the whole tipitaka's meaning.

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The question:

Samadhi Sutta (Concentration) [Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.] “Develop concentration, monks. A concentrated monk discerns things as they actually are present...
Is this an accurate translation of this part of the sutta? Isn't seeing things as they are mindfulness territory or mindfulness and concentration territory?
My understanding is that a strongly concentrated monk usually focuses on concepts not actual reality. When one concentrates on reality as it is(reality without concepts) then it's difficult to get strong concentration but when one concentrates on a concept that doesn't move around and is more stable than actual impermanent reality then the concentrated monk can reach those great blissful jhana states.
Only meditation of reality will lead one to the understanding of reality or panna.
I don't know but it kinda sounds like this translation is implying that concentration always shows one reality as it actually is but usually, concentration meditation involves one pointed attention on one concept not reality as it is.
The kind of concentration that is usually used for "seeing things as they are" is khanika samadhi or momentary concentration. This kind of concentration is used in Satipathana Vipassana meditation. It's like one pointed concentration only when a distraction comes, the distraction becomes the new focus until the distraction falls then it's back to the original focus that is often the sensation breath as it happens, moment by moment.

Householder and renunciation equanimity in saḷāyatanavibhaṅgasuttaṃ and mahāsatipaṭṭthānasutta

Question:

The thirty-six states (6 x 6 classes of contact) to which beings are attached are described in Salayatana-vibhanga Sutta; I have made a caricature while reading each state as below, states 1, 2, 4 & 5 are easy to understand, however, I'm straggling to clearly identify the two type of equanimity and how they differ.
Quoted below is the definition given for each equanimity states in the Sutta, but it’s not clear to me how the foolish deluded householder equanimity is any different from the other. How do these two people react to a given situation?
I will give an example for the householder equanimity and If possible please try to use the same situation to represent the state of the renunciation equanimity and if possible beyond renunciation equanimity (atammayata) in which there is no act of intention, not even the intention underlying equanimity is said to be present.
For example, a householder loses his beloved son or a wife he could reason and say ‘I know I was only in love with a mortal and what has happened is natural’ and he remains calm without suffering. This equanimity, I take it, doesn’t go beyond form. With a wide open eye as I caricatured his state, he looks into pain and pleasure even death with equanimity without reasoning beyond form. Let them change he is just looking.
Many thanks.

"And what are the six kinds of household equanimity? The equanimity that arises when a foolish, deluded person — a run-of-the-mill, untaught person who has not conquered his limitations or the results of action 2 & who is blind to danger [3] — sees a form with the eye. Such equanimity does not go beyond the form, which is why it is called household equanimity. (Similarly with sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, & ideas.)
"And what are the six kinds of renunciation equanimity? The equanimity that arises when — experiencing the inconstancy of those very forms, their change, fading, & cessation — one sees with right discernment as it actually is that all forms, past or present, are inconstant, stressful, subject to change: This equanimity goes beyond form, which is why it is called renunciation equanimity. (Similarly with sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, & ideas.)
"And what is equanimity coming from multiplicity, dependent on multiplicity? There is equanimity with regard to forms, equanimity with regard to sounds...smells...tastes...tactile sensations [& ideas: this word appears in one of the recensions]. This is equanimity coming from multiplicity, dependent on multiplicity.
"And what is equanimity coming from singleness, dependent on singleness? There is equanimity dependent on the dimension of the infinitude of space, equanimity dependent on the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness... dependent on the dimension of nothingness... dependent on the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. This is equanimity coming from singleness, dependent on singleness.

Answer:

There is nothing difference between equanimity, but the difference appear in householder and renunciation.
Don't judge a book by its cover.
For your example: the 3rd and 6th case react the same action. But one by unwholesome mind, another by wholesome mind. That's the difference.
However, because of the very difference between the mind factors of them. If the householder equanimity person doesn't try to fake, lie. He react by most of these mind factors: lobha, dosa, moha, diṭṭhi, māna, issa, macchariya, uddhacca, kukucca, vicikicchā,ahiri, anottappa, thīna, middha.
However, the wholesome action can react like that, too, such as the householder equanimity fall to sleep by thīna and middha. But the renunciation equanimity fall to sleep by sati-sampajañña. The householder equanimity may show or not their sleepy action. But the renunciation equanimity must not. However, the renunciation equanimity may have the tired-action which is physical, but it may looks like the physical action by thīna and middha as well.
So, don't judge a book by its cover.

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Gehasita feeling (householder feeling; gehasita=with lobha) means the feeling going together with attaching the 12 āyatana, and 6 contacts (18 manopavicāra). The feeling and attaching are called taṇhā (samudayasacca;caving) and 18 manopavicāra are called 18/60 piyarūpa/sātarūpa in MN Mūlapaṇṇāsaka, mahāsatipaṭṭthānasutta.
Nekkhammasita feeling (renunciation equanimity; nekkhamma=without lobha) means the feeling going without attaching the 12 āyatana, and 6 contacts (18 manopavicāra). The feeling and non-attaching are called nekkhamma-sammāsaṅkappa (right thought in maggasacca) which appear in nirodha-sacca of MN Mūlapaṇṇāsaka, mahāsatipaṭṭthānasutta. as attachment cessation from 18/60 piyarūpa/sātarūpa.

(the kehasita = taṇhā-paṭiccasamuppāda)
And what, bhikkhus, is the dukkha-samudaya ariyasacca? It is this taṇhā leading to rebirth, connected with desire and enjoyment, finding delight here or there, that is to say: kāma-taṇhā, bhava-taṇhā and vibhava-taṇhā.
...
(6 inner-āyatana-paṭiccasamuppāda)
The eye ... ear ... nose ... tongue ... Kāya ... Mana in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles.
(rūpa-paṭiccasamuppāda; 6 inner-āyatana-paṭiccasamuppāda's objects; outer-āyatana)
Visible forms ... Sounds... Smells ... Tastes ... Bodily phenomena ... Dhammas in the world are pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles.
(6 viññāṇa-paṭiccasamuppāda)
The eye-viññāṇa ... ear-viññāṇa .. tongue-viññāṇa ... Kāya-viññāṇa ... Mana-viññāṇa in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles.
(phassa-paṭiccasamuppāda)
The eye-samphassa ... ear-samphassa ... nose-samphassa ... tongue-samphassa ... Kāya-samphassa ... Mana-samphassa in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles.
(vedanā-paṭiccasamuppāda)
The vedanā born of eye-samphassa... vedanā born of ear-samphassa ... vedanā born of nose-samphassa ... vedanā born of tongue-samphassa ... vedanā born of kāya-samphassa ... vedanā born of mana-samphassa in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles.
(nāma-paṭiccasamuppāda)
The saññā of visible forms ... saññā of sounds ...saññā of odors ... saññā of tastes ...saññā of bodily phenomena ... saññā of Dhammas in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles.
(kamma-bhava-paṭiccasamuppāda; saṅkhāra-paṭiccasamuppāda)
The intention [related to] visible forms ... intention [related to] sounds ... intention [related to] odors ... intention [related to] tastes ... intention [related to] bodily phenomena ... intention [related to] dhammas in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles.
(kehasita taṇhā)
The taṇhā for visible forms in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles. The taṇhā for sounds .. odors ... tastes ... bodily phenomena ... dhammas in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles.
[Mana = vitakka in saḷāyatana-vibhaṇgasutta because of upavicāra (vicāra often appear with vitakka), sammā-saṅkappa(right vitakka), and miccha-saṅkappa (wrong vitakka). So, the context force us to translate mana(of mana-upavicāra) as vitakka in saḷāyatana-vibhaṇgasutta]
(kehasita vitakka; kehasita mano)
The vitakka of visible forms in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles. The vitakka of sounds in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles. The vitakka of odors in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles. The vitakka of tastes in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles. The vitakka of bodily phenomena in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles. The vitakka of dhammas in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles.
(kehasita upavicāra)
The vicāra of visible forms in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles. The vicāra of sounds ... odors ... tastes ... bodily phenomena ... dhammas in the world is pleasant and agreeable, there taṇhā, when arising, arises, there when settling, it settles. This is called, bhikkhus, the dukkha·samudaya ariyasacca.
(See nirodhasacca-niddesa in the same way for nekkhammasita)
(Below word "saṅkappa" ofthen use "vitakka" instead in variant sutta, so this is nekkhammasita-vitakka)
And what, bhikkhus, are sammāsaṅkappas? Those, bhikkhus, which are saṅkappas of nekkhamma, saṅkappas of abyāpāda, saṅkappas of avihiṃsā, those are called, bhikkhus, sammāsaṅkappas.

This is not good enough explanation for abhidhammist, abhidhamma has more detail than I told above, but I think it is enough for you.

Sutta that says to do mindfulness in a slow manner

Question:

I remember that I once read a sutta by the buddha where he mentioned to do things slowly while being mindful in order to recognize each step. Any ideas which sutta it could be?

Answer:

There is no sutta or commentary which taught to meditate slowly. The action speed depends on the practitioner skill level, some uneducated practitioner (may be) need to action slow.

But there are many sutta taught to meditate in order. And There are some commentary which have the example of the practitioner who always repeatedly his action when he forget to meditate mindfulness.

However, when we begin to do some very hard new thing carefully, mindfully. we will be automatic slow down ourselves. Because if we do it over fast we will cross the step, mistake the practice's sequences.

There is nothing permanent, if the electron still go around the nucleus and the proton&neutron still require that electron.

Well now one could argue that you can enjoy something which is impermanent and not get attached to it, but that is never really mentioned in the suttas.. it's not about enjoying but always to renounce.

It is impossible. Because every enjoying in impermanent stuff is attachment.

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There is nothing permanent, if the electron still go around the nucleus and the proton&neutron still require that electron. Because electron are impermanent and what depending on the impermanent stuff, it is impermanent as well.
So, if you try to risk yourself by your wrong logic, it's fine. But the imprudent attitude can't change the buddhist prudent attitude. We don't want to risk with you. We want the peace, the permanent, the stable, and real happiness without any risk/posibile suffering/possible problem anyway.

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You inclined to be capitalism, materialism, eternalism, and annihilationism, which all were called micchā-diṭṭhi.
So, when someone has micchā-diṭṭhi, misunderstanding the causes and effects, it means that one has sakkāyadiṭṭhi, sīlabataparāmāsa, and vicikicchā.
Therefore, one can doubt, vicikicchā, in the result of wholesome action, then act the illegal or immoralness, sīlabataparāmāsa.
That sīlabataparāmāsa is a very risk to cause the very painful feeling, such as the rob who killed by the law or the stuff owner. It is not just the rob's painful, it is his family painful as well.

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question:

Why must someone strive for something which is everlasting, e.g. Nirvana? It is unfortunate if everything is impermanent but I think this is a mistake, a false conclusion, that you shouldn't be attached to anything which is impermanent. It is not 100% awful if everything is fleeting. One doesnt need to cling to a belief that there is something which lasts forever. Did anyone come to the idea that everyone cling to the buddha and the idea of liberation?
Well now one could argue that you can enjoy something which is impermanent and not get attached to it, but that is never really mentioned in the suttas.. it's not about enjoying but always to renounce. Now, I thing that it's not good to base one's goal PRIMARLY to self oriented ones, i.e. only achieving enlightenment. I know that this is not a good motivation and that one rather focus on others or on much measureable goals like.. meditating twice per day or showing forgiveness or to apologize for one's wrongdoings.. Agreed on that? I think you all do but still the main goal in Buddhism is to escape Samsara and the cycle(s) of rebirth. Which leads to my second question:
Does one practise metta just for the sake to cleanse one's karma, for the wish that the other escapes samsara (which is ok if one literally - and not metaphorically - believes in it) and to not being reborn in this - im sorry - "mess" yet again?
I think, it is better to stick to an agnostic "i don't know" attitude concerning rebirth, samsara, nirvana or rather reinterprates them than to greedily chase for liberation which is just another craving and could foster laziness, selfishness and everything which is contrary to the teachings.

How to explain metta meditation phrase by yourself

Question:

Metta phrases about safety in ancient and modern times

Background

I've been practicing with metta phrases adapted from the Visuddhimagga, and i've seen the same thing in other places: Part of the meditations focuses on safety, which is perhaps not as relevant in our modern world where we are better protected from physical injury than in the ancient times
(Example: "May i be safe and free from injury")

Question

I'd like to find an alternative to metta mediation phrases related to physical safety so that the phrases that i practice with are more relevant to me and others

What i've found so far

So far i've been thinking about maybe exchanging phrases about physical safety to mental/emotional safety, or a feeling/perception of safety. In our modern society many people are suffering from anxiety

Answer: 

Your understanding in that phrase is lacking. So if you practice your understanding up more level, nothing is necessary to change or to request, because you can notice the explanation by yourself, after you recite nd recite the briefed phrase.

1st reason

Many phrases in tipitaka, abhidhamma, and commentary were taught in brief for easily memorizing of the practitioner, because in ancient theravāda tradition we orally memorize our kammaṭṭhāna-phrase before we meditate follow it.
So, what you want to do, the explanation of the brief phrase, is what the practitioners generally do in every meditation types. We do it until the meditation will be level up.
Also, this is the reason that why we already have the abhidhamma and ancient commentary in buddha time, too. Because in buddha period, there has not just the educated people who can enlighten at the fist time ever they listened dhamma. But there also has too many uneducated people who cannot understand and cannot enlighten, too. So they need the very deep explanation, which sāriputta had to answer to them because the buddha promoted him as the teacher of enlightenment in AN ekakanipāta ekapuggalapāli, such as appeared in M.N. mūlapaṇṇāsaka mahāgosiṇgasālasutta which every etadagga go to sāriputta's home to listen the very deep dhamma (the explanation) from him.

2rd reason

So, what you need will appear after you recite and recite the memorized ancient phrase again and again (parikamma).
For the example: when you secondly recite "May I be safe", the "your trying-to-safe-your-self effort" will little by little appear to you, such as when you try the vegan food to avoid ass injure by a hard shit, the secondly recited word will appear to you "this is what I recited 'May I be safe', this is giving happiness to my self, then I should do this giving to the other to meditate mettā", etc.

3nd reason

"Mettā to practitioner self" is just a preparation, it is not meditation.
In the path of purification, loving kindness meditation section, wrote:

when the practitioner doesn't know how to mettā, he should mettā to himself, before meditate mettā follow the tipitaka. "May I be happy, free from suffering hatred, difficulties, and troubles, and may I live in happiness!"

It is because the uneducated practitiner can easily notice giving-happiness-to-himself mind by this way. When he know what is mettā, then he can let the giving-happiness-to-the-others mind arise.
Read pāli cannon in pāli language is better, I recommend.

Buddhadasa Bhikkhu metta description conflict with traditional mettā meditation

Question:

I'm a beginner and I'm studying (and trying to practice) both meditation on breathing and mettā meditation, and in the book Anapanasati by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, which i'm following with some initial success, when dealing with preliminaries and false views, it is said:
"[...] Some forms of "radiating loving kindness" are phrased in an amusing way, for instance: "May I be happy, free from suffering hatred, difficulties, and troubles, and may I live in happiness!" This really reflects fear and self love on the part of the speaker. How could a person with such a weak mind ever put forth the effort necessary to realize impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and non-selfhood? With this kind of ritual he will only disturb his mind all the more. [...]"
Now, i think almost every book and guide on mettā I've read suggests phrases like the one took as example in the above cited text. For example in Brahmavihara Dhama by Ven. Sayadaw it is suggested the phrase "May i be happy and free from misery" and similars. So the above mentioned paragraph confused me a bit. Do the Buddhadasa teachings conflict with traditional mettā practice? What view of things should a beginner follow, between these? Thanks in advance!

Answer:

Do the Buddhadasa teachings conflict with traditional mettā practice?

Yes, he did, because he is a unusually argumentative regard to commentary and abhidhamma. His quote is in visuddhimagga. So, he againt it.

What view of things should a beginner follow, between these?

The uneducated beginner should follow the traditional mettā practice, because it is easier to understand "what is mettā".
So in the path of purification, loving kindness meditation section, wrote:

when the practitioner doesn't know how to mettā, he should mettā to himself, before meditate mettā follow the tipitaka. "May I be happy, free from suffering hatred, difficulties, and troubles, and may I live in happiness!"

It is because the uneducated practitiner can easily notice giving-happiness-to-himself mind by this way. When he know what is mettā, then he can let the giving-happiness-to-the-others mind arise.

Bhal­li­kādi­sutta

TIPITAKA Volume 22 : PALI ROMAN
Sutta Pitaka Vol 14 : Sutta. Aṅ. (3): pañcaka-chakkanipātā
120–​139. Bhal­li­kādi­sutta
“Chahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhalliko gahapati … pe … sudatto gahapati anāthapiṇḍiko … citto gahapati macchi­kāsaṇḍiko … hatthako āḷavako … mahānāmo sakko … uggo gahapati vesāliko … uggato gahapati … sūrambaṭṭho … jīvako komārabhacco … nakulapitā gahapati … tavakaṇṇiko gahapati … pūraṇo gahapati … isidatto gahapati … sandhāno gahapati … vicayo gahapati … vijayamāhiko gahapati … meṇḍako gahapati … vāseṭṭho upāsako … ariṭṭho upāsako … sāraggo upāsako tathāgate niṭṭhaṅgato amataddaso amataṃ sacchikatvā iriyati.

There are 6 elements being inside bhalliko gahapati...pe... sudatto gahapati anāthapiṇḍiko … citto gahapati macchi­kāsaṇḍiko … hatthako āḷavako … mahānāmo sakko … uggo gahapati vesāliko … uggato gahapati … sūrambaṭṭho … jīvako komārabhacco … nakulapitā gahapati … tavakaṇṇiko gahapati … pūraṇo gahapati … isidatto gahapati … sandhāno gahapati … vicayo gahapati … vijayamāhiko gahapati … meṇḍako gahapati … vāseṭṭho upāsako … ariṭṭho upāsako … sāraggo upāsako

, who completely decided (to faith) in tathāgata, saw amata (no death=nibbāna), and enlightened amata then living.

Katamehi chahi? Buddhe aveccap­pasā­dena, dhamme aveccap­pasā­dena, saṃghe aveccap­pasā­dena, ariyena sīlena, ariyena ñāṇena, ariyāya vimuttiyā. Imehi kho, bhikkhave, chahi dhammehi samannāgato sāraggo upāsako tathāgate niṭṭhaṅgato amataddaso amataṃ sacchikatvā iriyatī”ti.

How about 6 elements?

1. (Perfect) trusting without doubt in buddhā.
2. (Perfect) trusting without doubt in dhamma.
3. (Perfect) trusting without doubt in saṅghā.
4. Ariya's sīla (noble one's morality).
5. Ariya's ñāṇa (noble one's understanding).
5. Ariya's vimutti (noble one's liberation).

Those are 6 elements being inside sāraggo upāsako, who completely decided (to faith) in tathāgata, saw amata (no death=nibbāna), and enlightened amata then living.

pāli: http://84000.org/tipitaka/pitaka_item/r ... 8&items=14