Reading guide
The same grid, a second quality
Skilled in immersion but not remaining in it; skilled in remaining but not immersion; skilled in neither; skilled in both — the identical two-by-two structure as SN 34.1, with ṭhiti ("remaining") replacing samāpatti ("entering").
Ṭhiti, sustaining what entering achieves
Where samāpatti names the skill of reaching an immersive state, ṭhiti names the distinct skill of staying there — a meditator could conceivably enter deep states with ease yet lose them almost immediately, or struggle to enter but sustain what little depth they reach.
The simile, restated word for word
SN 34.1's own dairy-refinement simile recurs here unchanged, confirming it as this saṃyutta's own standing closing formula rather than a one-time illustration specific to entering alone.
Second of ten qualities, eight more to come
SN 34.3–10 will apply this identical structure to eight further qualities — emerging, gladdening, supports, territory, projecting, carefulness, persistence, and conducive — each paired against immersion in turn.
Key terms
The text
§1At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, there are these four meditators. What four? One meditator is skilled in immersion but not in remaining in it. One meditator is skilled in remaining in immersion but is not skilled in immersion. One meditator is skilled neither in immersion nor in remaining in it. One meditator is skilled both in immersion and in remaining in it. Of these, the meditator skilled in immersion and in remaining in it is the foremost, best, leading, highest, and finest of the four.
§2From a cow comes milk, from milk comes curds, from curds come butter, from butter comes ghee, and from ghee comes cream of ghee. And the cream of ghee is said to be the best of these. In the same way, the meditator skilled in immersion and remaining in it is the foremost, best, leading, highest, and finest of the four.”
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