Usually people always talking about steps from concentration towards insight meditation. But texts are showing different picture, for example MN 125 Dantabhumi sutta and DN 2 Samannaphala sutta , both showing that you first develop pure awareness (sati-sampajanna) at here and now moment similar to Eckhart Tolle approach practice of here and now or Advaita Vedanta practice of witnessing at present moment (Swayam prakashi or Sakshi-observer), in Taoism they even copied this practice known as Zhenguan, at Zen it’s Shikantaza or Dzogchen machyepa. And according to suttas after developing witnessing or observation or pure awareness or mindfulness or here and now practice after this you start developing concentration. In Taoist manual Zuowanglun they are totally copied all stages from Dantabhumi sutta or any other similar sutta. So why people talking about concentration-insight, when they should talk about awareness-concentration-insight-purification of mind, isn’t it obvious from Samannaphala sutta and Dantabhumi sutta? It’s interesting that even in Jain preksha meditation system they first develop Vartaman Kshan ki preksha and Vicar Preksha (Awareness and Observation) and after this they proceed towards animesh preksha (concentration).
Ven. Ananda said: “Friends, whoever—monk or nun—declares the attainment of arahantship in my presence, they all do it by means of one or another of four paths. Which four?
“There is the case where a monk has developed insight preceded by tranquillity. As he develops insight preceded by tranquillity, the path is born. He follows that path, develops it, pursues it. As he follows the path, developing it & pursuing it—his fetters are abandoned, his obsessions destroyed.
“Then there is the case where a monk has developed tranquillity preceded by insight. As he develops tranquillity preceded by insight, the path is born. He follows that path, develops it, pursues it. As he follows the path, developing it & pursuing it—his fetters are abandoned, his obsessions destroyed.
“Then there is the case where a monk has developed tranquillity in tandem with insight. As he develops tranquillity in tandem with insight, the path is born. He follows that path, develops it, pursues it. As he follows the path, developing it & pursuing it—his fetters are abandoned, his obsessions destroyed.
“Then there is the case where a monk’s mind has its restlessness concerning the Dhamma [Comm: the corruptions of insight] well under control. There comes a time when his mind grows steady inwardly, settles down, and becomes unified & concentrated. In him the path is born. He follows that path, develops it, pursues it. As he follows the path, developing it & pursuing it—his fetters are abandoned, his obsessions destroyed.
“Whoever—monk or nun—declares the attainment of arahantship in my presence, they all do it by means of one or another of these four paths.”
https://suttacentral.net/an4.170/en/thanissaro?reference=none&highlight=false
Furthermore, in the sutta you quoted
But bigger than that is the mass of ignorance by which Prince Jayasena is veiled, shrouded, covered, and engulfed. Prince Jayasena dwells in the midst of sensual pleasures, enjoying them, consumed by thoughts of them, burning with fever for them, and eagerly seeking more. It’s simply impossible for him to know or see or realize what can only be known, seen, and realized by renunciation. (MN 125)
It was clear that what is needed is Samatha first. (Or in layman terms, concentration)
Because it will dispel the five hindrances. (ill will, SENSUAL DESIRE, doubt, dullness, distraction-excitement)
Below that the training describe morality, progressing to 4 jhana.
What may be confusing is that the object is body, feeling, mind, and principles, the usual object in vipassana meditation. But it is not exclusive to vipassana. Similarly, Sati and Sampajana is also not exclusive to vipassana.
On contrary, it is absolutely needed in samatha meditation.
So samatha and vipassana, two aspect of the same coin. In the beginning it is generally suggested that the samatha aspect is focused first. Need to calm the mind first.
The Buddha himself practised insight first leading to sila (renunciation, non ill will, harmlessness) as described in Majhima Nikaya 19. There he utilized tranquillity for simply resting the mind from the investigative work of insight.
“Thinking imbued with renunciation has arisen in me; and that leads neither to my own affliction, nor to the affliction of others, nor to the affliction of both. It fosters discernment, promotes lack of vexation, & leads to Unbinding. If I were to think & ponder in line with that even for a night… even for a day… even for a day & night, I do not envision any danger that would come from it, except that thinking & pondering a long time would tire the body. When the body is tired, the mind is disturbed; and a disturbed mind is far from concentration.’ So I steadied my mind right within, settled, unified, & concentrated it. Why is that? So that my mind would not be disturbed.”
This predominance is also seen in the seven factors of awakening, with investigation the active factor (Samyutta Nikaya 46.53) initiating the arising of the causal sequence of the remaining factors, mindfulness playing the part of supervisor.
In the noble eightfold path’s cyclic sila> samadhi> panna, insight (panna= right view, right intentions) gives rise to sila.
“Thus these three qualities — right view, right effort, & right mindfulness — run & circle around right view.”—Majhima Nikaya 117