Avalokiteshvara Body Shrine Disaster-Averting Sadhana Group Practice & Dharma Teachings by Master Shi Lian Ming

— Emphasising “Cultivating the Mind as the Foundation, Entering the Path with Simplicity and Depth”

On the afternoon of August 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM, Melbourne’s Yen Ming Lei Tsang Temple cordially invited Master Shi Lian Ming from Canada to lead four-fold disciples in practicing the “Avalokiteshvara Body Shrine Disaster-Averting Sadhana” and impart essential instructions and practical secrets according to the occasion. The venue was solemn and dignified, and attendees listened intently, as if drinking sweet nectar.

All Protection Wheel Practices Are Equal: Choose One with Karmic Affinity to Practice

Master Shi Lian Ming opened by pointing out that practicing this disaster-prevention rite twice a month—on the first and fifteenth days of Lunar calendar —constructs a protective wheel that brings stability to the practitioner’s body, speech, and mind. “There are many Esoteric protection wheel methods, with no inherent superiority or inferiority. Practitioners should choose one that shares a deep karmic affinity with them and practice it with singular focus.” Master highlighted the importance of continuous protection based on this twice-monthly practice.

Pure Lineage Origin: Threefold Correspondence Enables Instant Practice

The Master detailed the origins of this practice: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva manifested three times to personally transmit it to the Root Guru, Grandmaster Lu Sheng-yen, who then compassionately transmitted it widely. “This practice transforms the practitioner’s own body into the five wheels of earth, water, fire, wind, and space, purifying oral karma through mantra recitation, and purifying mental karma through visualisation and meditation. It is a supreme skillful means of threefold correspondence of body, speech, and mind.” Those who have not yet received empowerment may write to Seattle to request remote empowerment from the Grandmaster; beginners may first complete seven consecutive sessions to familiarise themselves with the liturgy, followed by the steady routine of two sessions per month.

Simplifying Visualisation Details: Mind Itself Is the True Mandala

Regarding the intricate visualisation details in the liturgy—such as transforming the eyes into jewels, ears into banners, and facial features into light—the Master compassionately granted leeway: “There is no need to be attached to specific jewel colors, necklaces can be visualised simply as seashells, and if Sanskrit syllables are unknown, simply place your mind in purity. When visualising the five-wheel stupa, earth, water, fire, and wind can be directly visualised as the great earth, oceans, fire, and breath of wind; do not be constrained by mere forms.” He further refuted common misconceptions: “Counting mantra recitations is not true diligence, and studying Buddhist philosophy is not actual practice. It is like knowing a recipe without ever stepping into the kitchen—one will never taste the flavour of the Dharma.”

Practice Lies Not in Superficial Appearance, But in Unremitting Mindfulness

The Master sternly pointed out current flaws: “Some people bow to Buddhas without practicing, while others practice without cultivating their minds, retaining the same old tempers and heavy habits—none of this is true practice. Diligence lies in ‘unremitting mindfulness,’ maintaining constant awareness over greed, anger, and ignorance, and guarding body, speech, and mind at all times. The thought of craving delicious food is heedlessness; clinging to the criticism of others is falling into bondage. Karmic obstacles are not external punishments, but obstructions born from the three poisons within. Only by using repentance as medicine and awareness as a sword can one sever them.”

Meditation Should Be Short and Serene: Purify and Protect the Mandala Regularly

The Master taught the practical details of the practice: It is best to enter meditative stabilisation within half an hour; practice sitting meditation for ten to fifteen minutes in the early morning before meals, and reserve the main practice for the evening. Correct posture unblocks energy channels and naturally settles the mind into the center. He also taught that all purification and protection methods remain effective for forty-nine days, so boundary purification must be performed regularly. Twice a month, use Great Compassion Mantra water to sprinkle and purify from the inside out, visualising white light washing away impurities, while water, rice, and salt can be used outdoors to extensively purify the ten directions.

Gratitude for Shared Conditions: Temples Must Take Inclusivity as Their Foundation

Toward the end of the ceremony, Master Lian Ming expressed deep gratitude to Yen Ming Lei Tsang Temple for the warm invitation, and thanked Abbott Reverend Shi Lian Jie, the board of directors, and fellow volunteers for their continuous support over the days. He specially reminded everyone: “Buddhistic affinities differ immensely; do not measure others by your own mind, as criticism easily severs people’s roots of goodness. Temples are fields of merit for all sentient beings; inclusivity demonstrates compassion, and joint practice relies on unity of heart.”

The entire group practice concluded successfully amidst the Master’s earnest exhortations of “entering the path simply and deeply, with mind cultivation as primary.” The attending faithful felt filled with Dharma joy and expressed their determination to follow the teachings in daily life, guarding their original minds to construct a true Vajra city of disaster prevention through a pure body mandala.