What has been said merits a further development:
JhanaStream wrote:
You are overlooking the fact ekaggata occurs prior to the description of the jhanas.
There are a only 3 suttas where citassa ekaggata or an equivalent is clearly mentioned before the first jhana. Those are: MN 4, MN 19, AN 8.11. This is a rather weak evidence for your claim, as one may well consider that those suttas, just like MN 117, have been influenced by abhidhammic doctrines.
Here is a list of suttas featuring the 'gradual path' presenting the practices in a progressive way, and none of them mentions ekaggata before the first jhana:
MN 27, 38, 39, 51, 53, 60, 76, 79, 94, 101, 107, 112, 125
DN 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
An 4.198, AN 10.99.
That is 27 suttas altogether.
So my previous remark still needs to be addressed in the case of these 27 suttas even before paying attention to the above mentioned 3 suttas:
Sekha wrote:
So, if it [citassa ekaggata] is a sine qua non prerequisite to the first jhana that implies that thoughts subside - and the Buddha makes great deal of handling thoughts - why on earth would he keep total silence on the issue?