AN 4.147

Dutiyakālasutta

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, kālā sammā bhāviyamānā sammā anuparivattiyamānā anupubbena āsavānaṁ khayaṁ pāpenti. Katame cattāro? Kālena dhammassavanaṁ, kālena dhammasākacchā, kālena sammasanā, kālena vipassanā— Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro kālā sammā bhāviyamānā sammā anuparivattiyamānā anupubbena āsavānaṁ khayaṁ pāpenti.

Times (2nd)

“Mendicants, when these four times are rightly developed and reiterated, they gradually lead to the ending of defilements. What four? A time for listening to the teaching, a time for discussing the teaching, a time for serenity, and a time for discernment.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, uparipabbate thullaphusitake deve vassante taṁ udakaṁ yathāninnaṁ pavattamānaṁ pabbatakandarapadarasākhā paripūreti; pabbatakandarapadarasākhā paripūrā kusobbhe paripūrenti; kusobbhā paripūrā mahāsobbhe paripūrenti; mahāsobbhā paripūrā kunnadiyo paripūrenti; kunnadiyo paripūrā mahānadiyo paripūrenti; mahānadiyo paripūrā samuddaṁ paripūrenti. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, ime cattāro kālā sammā bhāviyamānā sammā anuparivattiyamānā anupubbena āsavānaṁ khayaṁ pāpentī”ti.

It’s like when the heavens rain heavily on a mountain top, and the water flows downhill to fill the hollows, crevices, and creeks. As they become full, they fill up the pools. The pools fill up the lakes, the lakes fill up the streams, and the streams fill up the rivers. And as the rivers become full, they fill up the ocean. In the same way, when these four times are rightly developed and reiterated, they gradually lead to the ending of defilements.”