Johnny is talking here about vaci sankhara for an ‘upcoming vacation, anticipating what he could possibly see and enjoy.”
There is no apunnaabhisankhara involved, no vaci sankhara like for murders and suicide bombings etc.is generated. Besides that there is ‘neutral’ abhisankhara (just like Johnny refers to); apunnabhisankhara; but also punnabhisankhara, say, about getting up in the morning and looking forward to doing a good deed and generating benevolent, wholesome thoughts WITH vaci sankhara involved. But vaci sankhara is said to be bad.
From # 5 of the most recent post:
“- If it is something we like, it may be hard to stop thinking about it, i.e., it may take will power.
– That is what is involved in Ānāpāna/Satipatthāna: stopping bad vaci sankhāra.”
Why must ‘something we like’ be BAD, and therefore also the vaci sankhara that follow?
It is true that even punnabhisankhara leaves one chained to the rebirth process, but progress is gradual. There cannot be many right on the cusp of Arahanthood.