Bodhinatha arrived home from Montreal this afternoon.

Another as yet unpublished audio discourse by Bodhinatha has been uploaded today. Check the side bar link on the right.

He and Arumugaswami go to the temple for arati on arrival.

Our new little calf, Deepti, is brought over by Shanmuganathaswami to greet our arriving Satguru.

One of America’s most highly respected yoga teachers, Larry Payne, visited yesterday with his friend Bob Hyman. Larry brought his yoga students to the monastery for several years, and they all loved their moments with Gurudeva.

Larry showed Palaniswami his current work, making videos for yoga therapy, with seminars and certification provided through Loyola Marymont University in LA.

Yesterday was a special pillar lifting day, so our cameras went out in the afternoon to the site.

Another Larry, our crane operator, was there guiding the process.

He has trained the monks to do all the work harnessing the stones that his crane then lifts into place.

Tejadeva leads the strapping work on this day.

All the carvers join to guide the heavy pillar to the exact spot.

It cannot be even a 1/16th of an inch off in any direction.

So all work slowly to orient it just right.

There is a stone projection at the bottom which fits into a hole in the base stone, giving lateral stability.

Yoginathaswami puts sandalwood paste into the hole.

Then prepares 9 small gems which are placed at the base of each of the temples pillars.

Palaniswami places the 9 stones on the soft sandalwood.

Then covers that with mortar.

Each one then places a little mortar.

Selvanathan Sthapati is next.

Then a thin layer of mortar before the pillar is lifted.

Up it goes!

And on top of the base stone.

Close inspection of the vertical position is important.

Yoginathaswami removes the straps.

An hour later a second pillar is placed.

The two pillars will provide a baseline for the next pillars in the months ahead.

All pose to celebrate a job well done.

Two silpis take levels to the top, to get them perfectly true.

A short video was taken of the work. You can first hear Selvanathan explain the goals of the day and the meaning of the pillars. Then see the progress.

Later in the morning, Selvanathan Sthapati and Yoginathaswami on top of the temple looking for places where more ornamentation work can be done.