Table of Contents
Editorial Foreword to the First Issue
Note: Newsletter published on June 22, 2022.
By THE PRESIDENT OF UPC, MRS. SMITA CHATTERJEE
Dear Divine Souls of the Sunyoga Family,
We are pleased to present the first issue of the Sunyoga Newsletter. With the blessings of Swamiji Sunyogi Umasankaji, whose idea was to create this newsletter, we are putting our goal in spreading his teachings, making Our Readers familiar with Sunyoga principles, and serving as a tool for keeping the Sunyoga Family together. The newsletter will also include all the news about organized events, such as courses and conferences, as well as quotes from Swamiji’s books: “Essence of Sunyoga” and “Autobiography of Sunyogi.”
The first issue was published on June 22, the day of Swamiji’s birthday. As a President of Universal Peace Centre, let me invite All of You to participate in the celebrations in our ashram! Please, see the details below.
We will do our best to keep the publishing of new issues regular. The Sunyoga Newsletter is free of charge. Please share the problem with whoever could be interested in Sunyoga or Sun Meditation.
Yours sincerely,
The President of UPC,
Smita Chatterjee
Quote from the “Autobiography
of Sunyogi”
Pre-Birth Anecdote
I was born to a holy couple, Shrimati Bimala Bala Bag and Shri Srikant Mohan Bag Mahashay (Mahashay in translation means “a great man”), as their last son, in a small village called Lachhipur in the West Bengal State, India. My mother, Bimala Bala Bag, was an embodiment of unconditional love and compassion, with an angelic smile. She was born in a small village near Lachhipur and led a pure, divine, and spiritual life. She married my father when she was only ten years old. My father spent his life in hardship after losing his parents in his early childhood, and a distant relative, in turn, raised him. We were an economically poor family and underwent much hardship even to buy books for our studies.
I was so lucky to have such spiritual parents. When my mother turned 21, she still had not had any babies. We were an orthodox family, and my mother had to live under strict social norms. Society was insensitive to her, and she had to make many spiritual efforts to get a baby.
One day my parents went to the temple to do meditation and get blessings from the deities. The priest gave fruits to my father and instructed my mother to take a bath in a holy pond, and when she came up, she was to receive the fruits in her hands from my father. But when my mother had her bath, my father became distracted by a beautiful light outside the pond, went there, and forgot to give the fruits. My mother went up and could not find my father or get the fruits for a long time. What could she have done? She was concerned and changed clothes. Next, she sat down by a tree to relax, and suddenly five rays of light coming from different angles appeared in the sky. One light ball came towards her, making a form and showing its identity. It told her, “Don’t worry, we are coming, and we will be born by you.” That is why we are five children in our family, three brothers and two sisters. I was the last child to be born by this Goddess, my mother.
This Goddess has passed away, but she acquired many children, even from foreign countries, during her lifetime. Those who met her, whether local or foreigner, poor or rich, all experienced her love and blessings. All received her grace of unconditional love from her noble heart.
Invitation to a Joint Celebration
Dear Divine Souls of the Sunyoga Family,
We are pleased to invite you to be part of a great event on the foundation day of Sunyoga and our beloved Swamiji Umasankar Sunyogiji’s Birthday Ceremony to be held on June 21 to June 23, 2022, at Universal Peace Centre, in Lachhipur, West Bengal. We would be honored to have you in various programs like:
• International Yoga Day (June 21),
• Birthday of Swamiji (June 22),
• Agnihotra,
• Sun Meditation,
• blood donation camp,
• plant distribution,
• cloth distribution,
• taking prasad with all divine brothers and sisters and village neighbors, honor to school teachers from whom Swamiji has learned in his school.
We genuinely hope that you will accept our invitation. It would be highly appreciated if you could reply to us so that we can make the necessary arrangements for the accommodation: contact the Ashram Office: +918348986030.
We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Yours sincerely,
The President of UPC,
Smita Chatterjee
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Agnihotra
We do the Agnihotra ceremony every morning at the Universal Peace Centre. We pile cow dungs together in a small copper pyramid, spread some ghee on it, and light the pot on fire at sunrise. Then we offer some rice mixed with ghee while chanting some mantras, and we do a little meditation after.
Agnihotra is an ancient Vedic tradition commonly practiced all over India. When the first-morning sun rays touch the Earth, there is a strong and energetic current from which we derive significant benefits.
The Sun’s rays touch the copper pyramid and reflect in the atmosphere, purifying it 12kms all around. We hear testimonies like crop improvement or wildlife abundance in areas where Agnihotra is performed. Dawn is a good time for germs and microbes to develop in our bodies. Thus, being in a devotional mood at that time and receiving sun energy, we will help the beneficial microorganisms within us to grow.
The smoke from this fire is great for cleansing our lungs and removing mucus. The quality of materials plays a part there. Cow dungs must come from well-treated cows, organically fed, with horns intact. Ghee and rice must be organic as well. The fire made of such suitable materials will make a tremendous purifying smoke. But the secret benefit from Agnihotra, or any Puja, is its spiritual aspect.
When the first UPC building was ready, Swamiji did not bother with Vedic rituals, as he felt that meditation alone was a good tool for the spiritual seeker. But he realized that most of us could not properly meditate, and we needed to ground ourselves first. So he put the two traditional Indian Pujas in place, the morning and evening ceremonies.
How does it help the practitioner to reach his goal of Yoga? By waking up early, we reduce our laziness. By organizing the puja place, preparing the offerings, being on time, etc. we diminish our selfishness. By singing mantras or bhajans together, tuning with others as One, we expand ourselves and open our Hearts. So faithfully practicing these Pujas is a great way to deepen our meditation practice.
Swamiji also told us about the symbolism hidden in the Agnihotra ritual, but we will discuss it in our following newsletter.
The Sarveśam Svastir Bhavatu Mantra
This mantra is an invocation for peace and prosperity across the Universe. The mantra comes from the ancient Garuda Purana and Bhavishya Purana.
Mantra text
Sarveśam Svastir-Bhavatu
Sarveśam Shantir-Bhavatu
Sarveśam Purnam-Bhavatu
Sarveśam Mangalam-Bhavatu
Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah
Sarve Santu Niramayah
Sarve Bhadrani Paśyantu
Ma Kaścid-Duhkha-Bhag-Bhavet
Om Śantih Śantih Śantih!
Translation
May there be well-being in all
May there be peace in all
May there be fulfillment in all
May there be auspiciousness in all
May all become happy
May all be free from illness
May all See what is auspicious
May no one suffer
Om, Peace, Peace, Peace!
Sunyoga Basics
Since it is our first newsletter edition, let us talk about the first things we learn in Sunyoga. Here are the three basics instructions for Sun Meditation:
1. Do not look directly into the Sun. Look at the Sun through the center of the eyebrows. It will protect our retina; only the white part of our eyes will be exposed to the sun’s rays. There is another purpose for this, which we discuss in the level II course.
2. Make friendship with the Sun from the heart. This is the core guideline for meditation and in general life as well. Feel friendship, feel love towards the Sun. If you have a hard time, try again, merely be with the Sun like a friend.
3. Surrender to the Sun. Drop your expectations, and accept what comes. Sun will take care of us; there is no need to imagine anything. Forget about yesterday’s meditation, get what is there now.
These instructions are like our mantra in the Sun Meditation, but we should also apply them in our daily lives. Being present, doing our duties with love, and without expecting any results. Swamiji says that if we can do this, we do not need any meditation to reach Self-Realization. So let us do it whether in sitting meditation or during our work, leisure, or our family time!
Swamiji’s 3-year Sadhana in Himalayas
By AXEL JOHANSSON
For two weeks in June, I was privileged to spend my time with Swamiji Sunyogi Umasankar in Bhojbasa, where he is currently residing for his 3-years retreat. The place is at 3800m altitude in a clean environment, perfect for spiritual practice. Bhojbasa is the resting place for people doing yatras going to Gaumukh and Tapovan. In Bhojbasa, there is the Lal Baba ashram where you can stay for a lower price (500 rupees) with breakfast and dinner.
The trekking starts in Gangotri, and a special trekking pass is required. The distance from Gangotri to Bhojbasa is 14km and is quite challenging because of the altitude and the steep ascend (700m 3100 to 3800m height), although the path is mostly very smooth and easy to walk. There are porters in Gangotri that you can pay and will help you carry your things up to Bhojbasa and beyond.
From Bhojbasa, there is only 4km to Gaumukh, and many do day trips walking from Bhojbasa to Gaumukh and back. The road here is a bit tricky, and you need to walk on rocks at some parts of the road. Good to think about, start the walk early in the morning because in high season the queue for the zipline needed to pass the Ganga river is quite long, and the waiting usually lasts an extended time.
One alternative is to go to Tapovan. It is the same route as to Gaumukh. For Tapovan, you need to pass Gaumukh and climb up a steep ascend (400m) until reaching your destination at 4460m altitude. The ashram in Tapovan is quite expensive (1500 rupee), so if you want to save money, you can visit it for a short day or bring your tent. Tapovan is like heaven and well worth a visit. The best time to visit this area is in MayJune and September-October when there is not too much rain, and it is still not too cold and snowy. Be ready for cold temperatures and bring warm clothes; there can also be snow and minus degrees during summertime. The best time to visit this area is in May-June and September-October when there is not too much rain, and it is still not too cold and snowy. Be ready for cold temperatures and bring warm clothes; there can also be snow and minus degrees during summertime.
When I met Sunyogi, I found him at his cave (Shanti Kutir) close to Bhojbasa. Here he spends much of his time for his Sadhana. During this winter, Swamiji has done deep research and found new insights. With his new knowledge, he has written a new book on how to practice advanced Yoga easily while living
a normal family life. The recent revelations will be presented in Delhi in September, and the publication and translation of the book are underway. Swamiji said these insights would work as a bomb, clearing out all the negativity among humanity. My trip started in Gangotri after spending two nights in Ram Mandir Ashram. My guide was young and strong, so we could walk up to Bhojbasa to reach Swamiji at his cave already at lunchtime, a great moment not being able to see Swamiji for a long time. I was then introduced to Swamiji’s cave and was offered chai. It was interesting to see how a saint spends his time in the Himalayas, doing meditations combined with social duties. I also noticed during my track several caves where other saints were living.
The first days in Bhojbasa, at the higher altitude, made me feel a bit dizzy and weak. Soon it became better, but then I got a fever and stomach problems. So the combination of high altitude and cold made the trip challenging. During my stay in Lal Baba ashram, I also came across many people who were not well prepared and dressed for the cold. One night was freezing, there had been snowing, and we were waking up in several minus degrees and ice. In Lal Baba ashram, a handful of friendly people do Seva and dedicate their time to ashram visitors and give all the tourists and sadhus lovely food. Swamiji is also beneficial by holding morning and evening puja and doing some cooking.
At the end of my stay, we went to visit Gaumukh and Tapovan. Gaumukh is very popular to see because it is the source of Ganga, which is highly revered among Hindus. Tapovan was the place where Swamiji did his Sadhana 2007-2009. The area is spotless and peaceful and very conducive to spiritual practice. I felt in my Sun Meditation that the energy there is extraordinary, and I can understand why saints like to go and stay there. We met a saint, a good friend of Swamiji, who was nice to host us for the night.
Calendar
• June 21 – International Yoga Day
• June 22 – the birthday of Swamiji Sunyogi Umasankar
• every month – Sun Meditation courses in Lachhipur ashram, West Bengal, India (contact Ashram Office for details: Prasenjit
+918348986030)
• August 5-7 – Sun Meditation course levels 1 and 2 in Gausson, Brittany, France (Contact: Sébastien David, sidibeseb@gmail.com
• every Sunday – Sun Meditation course level 1 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India (Contact: Prashant Bhatt, +919324269483)
☼ ☼ ☼
Donation
If you wish to donate to the ashram, please find the detailed information at the website https://sunyoga.org/donations/.
Direct online transfer (only for India): At the website https://sunyoga.org/donations/ you can send a direct bank transfer through Razorpay.
For internal donations (inside India):
Name of the Beneficiary – Universal Peace Centre
Name of the Bank – State Bank of India
SWIFT CODE – SBININBB339
IFSC CODE – SBIN0009891
Account Number – 33676353645
Branch Code – 009891 (Branch code is always the last six characters of the
IFSC Code)
Branch – Kutikonarpur (West Medinipur),
West Bengal, India.
For international donations (outside of
India):
Name of the Beneficiary – Universal Peace Centre
Name of the Bank – State Bank of India
SWIFT CODE – SBININBB104
IFSC CODE – SBIN0000691
Account Number – 40108912804
Branch Code – 000691 (Branch code is always the last six characters of the
IFSC Code)
Branch – New Delhi Main Branch
Address – N. D. Main Branch 11. Parliament Street New Delhi.
Nct of Delhi 110001.
If you send money from abroad, we need the receipt of the money transfer, so our bank can accept the transfer to our account. Please, send the receipt to sunyogiindia@gmail.com.
Useful links
• Website: https://sunyoga.org
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/SunyogiUmasankar
• Telegram: https://t.me/Sunyoga
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/SunyogiUmashankar
• Reddit: www.reddit.com/r/SunYoga/
The Sunyoga Newsletter is published by the Universal Peace Centre, located in Lachhipur village, Paschim Medinipur district, Harinagar, in West Bengal, India, 140 km West of Kolkata. For more information, visit the website https://sunyoga.org.
The editorial board: Smita Chatterjee, the President of UPC in charge, Vikas Saxena, Ph.D., Urszula Libal, Ph.D., Tristan Bousquet (Prakash)
Email: contact@sunyoga.org
Ashram Office: +918348986030
Om Anand Om
