Early Spring in Melbourne: A Homa Feast Beyond Time and Space

On August 22, 2026, in early spring Melbourne, the winter chill had not fully faded, yet the sunshine bathed the earth with gentle warmth. On this day of emerging life, Yen Ming Temple welcomed a sublime feast of the Dharma, inviting Master Shi Lian Ming from Canada to preside over the “Hayagriva Homa Ceremony for Disaster Relief, Blessing, Deliverance, and Prosperity.”

In the morning, before the ceremony officially began, the venue was already buzzing. Devotees gathered from across Melbourne and beyond. Some carefully filled out registration forms, others offered carefully prepared offerings, and many exchanged warm greetings like reunited family members. Volunteers bustled about with joyful urgency making final preparations, filling the air with warm and devout activity.

At 1:45 PM, fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, the event commenced. Today held a special blessing: the Master would personally consecrate Yen Ming Temple’s newly built “Purity Hall.” As the solemn Master Invocation Mantra vibrated through the air like a spring breeze across a lake, the ceremony officially opened.

Before the homa altar, flames blazed while the chant of the Hayagriva Mantra resonated through the realm. The Master sat at the altar, performing esoteric mudras with effortless grace. Firelight reflected on the devout faces of the congregation, as the mantras pierced through the clamor of the mundane world, carrying everyone’s prayers and repentance into the blazing fire toward the heart of the deity.

Upon the conclusion of the homa, Dharma assistant Yue Hua, President of Yen Ming Temple, delivered a speech of gratitude. Master Lian Ming then gave a compassionate discourse, refreshing every heart like sweet dew.

The Master emphasised that spiritual practice must follow a clear sequence. Hayagriva is the wrathful manifestation of Avalokiteshvara; when one achieves spiritual union with Avalokiteshvara, practice with Hayagriva naturally falls into place. He highlighted that the small horse head atop the Hayagriva vajra scepter is the key distinction setting it apart from other vajra scepter.

To practice this Dharma, the 1st or 15th day of the lunar month is ideal. Practitioners can arrange a circular floral altar with a bowl of water in the center, a bowl of rice inside the water, and place the Hayagriva vajra scepter into the rice, accompanied by smaller vajra scepters while focusing on chanting the mantra. If one sees the vajra scepter rise from the water during meditation, they must immediately form an alliance with Hayagriva and offer daily devotion thereafter.

The Master continued that carrying a small Hayagriva vajra scepter while traveling offers protection, repels negative energy, and brings peace. He gently reminded everyone that Hayagriva is also the protective lord of the animal realm.

Addressing the deliverance registration forms, the Master noted earnestly that forms should ideally be filled out by hand by the registrant. Writing the form serves as a personal invitation to one’s ancestors, spirits, and the local Earth Deity (Tudigong), who will accept deliverance in accord with your intent. If someone else fills it out, the ancestors and local deities will not recognise the writer and may not respond. Thus, completing the form reflects filial piety and sincerity.

The Master then explained the origin and history of Tai Sui. Ancient astronomers observed that Jupiter takes twelve years to orbit the sky, using it as a celestial marker called the “Year Star” (Sui Xing). Because its orbital direction was opposite to conventional directional mapping, they conceived a hypothetical star moving in reverse, naming it “Tai Sui.” This aligned Tai Sui’s directional movement with familiar geographical habits. Over time, Tai Sui worship merged with the Sexagenary Cycle, giving rise to the “Sixty Tai Sui Deities,” each named after a historical figure revered for moral integrity. Practices such as “Settling Tai Sui” and “Worshipping Tai Sui” endure today to avert misfortune and invoke blessings.

Adverse affiliations with Tai Sui—such as Conflict, Clash, or Harm—are collectively called “Offending Tai Sui.” Responding to a devotee asking if one could bring their own joss paper to worship at the temple, the Master warmly clarified: purchasing joss paper from the temple when settling Tai Sui helps cultivate merit. Supporting the temple helps preserve the lineage of the Dharma, and the merit gained from supporting the Triple Gem serves precisely to clear karmic obstacles and enhance wisdom and blessings.

Most inspiringly, the Master shared that twenty-five years ago, he sat focused in mindfulness before the altar to complete 100,000 recitations of the Long 100-Syllable Mantra, with Vajrasattva as his primary deity. He compassionately promised to perform Vajrasattva’s purification blessing for the assembly using a “broom.” Moved by this revelation, everyone felt deeply fortunate to share in this rare affinity.

Following the discourse, the Master joined the congregation for a group photo to commemorate the moment. Holding the broom, he then bestowed Vajrasattva’s purification blessing upon each attendee, sweeping away spiritual dust and filling everyone with light and tranquility.

As the ceremony concluded, the assembly realised it was the official birthday of Padmasambhava. The Master cheerfully led everyone in singing “Happy Birthday.” Volunteers distributed altar offerings to share the Dharma joy.

Outside, night had fallen. Yet inside the brightly lit temple, Reverend Shi Lian Jie and dedicated volunteers worked diligently to clean and prepare the venue for the next day’s Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Yoga Flaming Mouth Dharma Ceremony. Under the lights, their quiet and steadfast efforts carried forward the warmth and solemnity of the day.

On this early spring day in Melbourne, a homa ceremony brought profound grace. The fire, mantras, teachings, and smiles wove together a living picture of a pure land, planting an everlasting seed of Bodhi in the heart of every participant.