Thus I once heard. The Budha was dwelling in the great city of Rajagrha, on Mount Grdhrakuta, together with a great assembly of ten thousand bhiksus, all of whom had attained the arhat path. Their names were Shariputra, Mahamaudgalyayana, Subhuti – there were many arhats such as these. Furthermore, there were two thousand bodhisattva-mahasattvas [adepts intent on enlightenment]. Their names were Liberation Bodhisattva, Mind King Bodhisattva, Non-Abiding Bodhisattva and other bodhisattvas like these. Furthermore, there were eighty thousand elders. Their names were Elder Chastity, Elder Great Chastity, Elder Luminary, and other elders like these. Furthermore, there were six hundred million devas, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, maharogas, humans and nonhumans.

At that time, the Lord, surrounded by the great congregation, preached a Mahayana sutra on behalf of all the great congregation, entitled Practice of the single taste, truth, signless, nonproduction, certitude, edge of reality, and the inspiration of original enlightenment. If one hears this sutra or retains even one four-line verse of it, that person will then access the stage of the Budha's knowledge; he will be able to proselyte sentient beings with appropriate expedients and become the great spiritual mentor of all sentient beings.

After the Budha had preached this sutra, he folded his legs into full-lotus position and entered into the adamantine absorption (vajrasamadhi), with his body and mind motionless.

At that time, there was a bhiksu named Agada in the congregation, who arose from his seat, joined his palms together, and genuflected in foreign fashion [with his right knee on the ground]. Wishing to reiterate the meaning of this [sutra that had just been preached], he recited gathas:

That Lord who is filled with great friendliness,
His wisdom penetrates without obstruction.
Intending to ferry across sentient beings on a vast scale,
He has explained the meaning of the one truth.
All this was accomplished via the path that has a single taste,
Never by means of the Hinayana.
The meaning, "taste", and place of his sermon,
All leave the unreal far behind.
They access the stage of wisdom of all the Budhas,
That decisive and truth edge of reality.
All the audience has transcended the world,
There is no one who has not achieved liberation.
All the innumerable bodhisattvas,
Each ferry across all sentient beings.
For the sake of the congregation, they question extensively and profoundly,
Learning of the dharmas' characteristic of calm extinction,
They access that place of certitude [of attaining enlightenment]
The Tathagata, through his knowledge and expedients,
Speaks so that [all beings] will be sure to access reality,
All this is in accordance with the one vehicle,
There are no extraneous tastes.
In the same way that, soaked by a single rain,
The multitudes of plants all grow verdantly.
[So too], according to their natures, which are each discrete,
Soaked by the dharma that has a single taste,
All things achieve complete fulfillment,
Just as if, soaked by a single rain,
All their bodhi sprouts were matured.
Accessing the adamantine taste,
He realizes the meditative absorption [ that knows] the true reality of dharmas.
He is certain to excise doubts and regrets,
And perfect the seal of the one dharma.

Subir