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Yogaswami said:
"Everything originates in me; everything finds permanancy in me; in me everything revolves in dissolution."--So must we become suffused with such pure thoughts. Further, we must frequently meditate as follows: "Nothing do I lack; everyone loves me and I too love all."--Meditating thus, one should endeavour to live up to this ideal. If one can practice spiritual sadhana in this way, the capacity to know everything and the power to do anything will develop spontaneously."

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Sadhaka Jivanandanatha was our pujari this morning.

Yogi Mahadevan assisting. We can always feel Gurudeva very powerfully present during this puja. Meanwhile there was a great deal of action at the temple site over the retreat.

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Here is the 15th course, all completed. Inner and outer wall in place and the inner space between them filled with mortar. The next course, number 16, forms the roof of temple.

The smaller opening in the back is the garba griham, inner sanctum... this will be open all the way to the top of the temple and covered only by the capstone at the very top.

Course number 16 which will be placed on top of these stones consists of various beams, ends of beams that stretch out to pillars and smaller stones in between.

It is always and exciting moment when Kauai Commercial arrives with the containers full of stones.

Teddy our now very well experienced forklift driver is on hand to do the honors.

This modern day elephant is made by Yale. This fork life can raise as much 4 tons, 14 feet high, or 2.5 tons up to 18 feet.

Here's our mahout, the pleasant natured and very skilled Teddy .

Sthapati looks over the load and defines strategy. First out is the T-shaped Potagai

That is the stone on the very top...

This Potagai will eventually be resting on top of a pillar.

Imagine moving this by hand!

Everything is laid out on the foundation.

Next out are the small beams... they have pointed ends which come together with three other beams on top of a pillar.

The square end will rest on the sanctum.

First Teddy pulls two of the beams out together straight back.

It is always a big moment when these giant stones are revealed.

The silpis clear the deck to reach smaller stones in the back.

Everyone watches carefully, but no snags today at all.

The wood from India for this shipment was picked to be very hard so that it would be less susceptible to bugs and also reusable for Aadheenam carpentry work.

Now out comes the second set of beams.

Nearly three tons of stone per beam.

These smaller stones fill out the 16th course between the ends of the beams.

The silpis know how to work... precisely, carefully, as Yogaswami said: "No hurry, no worry, no sorry."

It is not easy to see exactly where the forks will go through the wood crates. Yoginathaswami provides a second set of eyes.

This is such a precious gift from India.

Now away we go.

In from the side.

Swing away from the container....

Ok, take it away!

Ok, just one more big one to go.

It was a happy day. Sannyasin Yoginathaswami breathed a sigh of relief: "In only took two hours today, the smoothest unloading to date."

"Recently several mission members visited Markandaya Peruman. Born September 15th, 1907, at the age of 95, he is Saiva Siddhanta Church's oldest member. He lives in a retirement home in Concord, California. Members Janaka Param, Easan Katir, Deva Rajan, Vijay Sankara and Easvan Param visited and brought him a CD player to listen to Gurudeva's Books on CD."

Pictured is another visit from the Katir family, Easan, his wife Sundari, daughter Venita and son Kartikkeya, who brought Markendaya a CD of Gurudeva reading Merging with Siva.

Markendaya is in good spirits, living totally in the Now. Asked about the past, he answers, "I don't recall, but it doesn't matter." Asked about the future he says, "I don't know, and I don't care." His advice to members "Stand on your own two feet."

Recently Taruni Venita Katir was invited to speak at a luncheon in honor of the top student from each of the seven high schools in northern Sacramento Valley, California.� Venita represented Yuba City High School.� Among her points was the importance of her Church in her successful high school career.

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