2.
Discourse on Duration Rooted in Concentration
663.
At Sāvatthī.
"Monks, there are these four meditators.
Which four?
Here, monks, a certain meditator is skilled in concentration regarding concentration, but not skilled in duration regarding concentration.
Here again, monks, a certain meditator is skilled in duration regarding concentration, but not skilled in concentration regarding concentration.
Here again, monks, a certain meditator is neither skilled in concentration regarding concentration, nor skilled in duration regarding concentration.
Here again, monks, a certain meditator is both skilled in concentration regarding concentration and skilled in duration regarding concentration.
Therein, monks, the meditator who is both skilled in concentration regarding concentration and skilled in duration regarding concentration is the foremost and the best and the chief and the highest and the most excellent among these four meditators.
Just as, monks, from a cow comes milk, from milk comes curds, from curds comes butter, from butter comes ghee, from ghee comes the cream of ghee, and therein the cream of ghee is declared the foremost;
so too, monks, the meditator who is both skilled in concentration regarding concentration and skilled in duration regarding concentration is the foremost and the best and the chief and the highest and the most excellent among these four meditators."
The second.