Volume 19 Number 1 Page 8

These pages from Donkin's Diary that cover the early war years and Meher Baba's first Universal Spiritual Center in Bangalore, India, also show the Master's intimate work His close disciples or "Mandali."—Ed.

25/9/1939 A letter came yesterday from Jehangir in Bombay, saying he was staying with his wife and not going out as a sannyasin. Baba told us before he would remain in Bombay. His letter was read to all of us, as he was so full of assurance of obedience before he left. He said he longed for God, but Baba told us he (Baba) knew that he really longed unconsciously for his wife.

Baba yesterday was talking to Beheramsha* about his not throwing up his responsibility for his family, now he had joined Baba. He said no one must expect to get happiness from others, but be happy in himself, and that to give love with expectation of return was maya, and real love gave and asked for no return.

Baba was rather "peeved" with Congress' longwinded statement. He said they should have said simply "We will help Britain in the full confidence that at the conclusion of the war, we will be given our full freedom". This Baba said, was no time for bargaining. Baba says developments will take place in a few days in the international situation. Baba now washes and shaves five mad people every day. Mahomed is done every day...he is really a lot saner now. Baba went to the hospital to see one of the inmates, a servant, who was very ill, having had an operation with serious results, after disobeying Baba; and he was there only two minutes, in and out and everyone was agog, looking at him, house surgeons, patients and all.

28/9/1939 The land** purchase is complete now and Aiyangar returns to Madras today.

Baba is now locked in his own room between 6 and 8 a.m. and 11:30 to 1 p.m., when we must not go round to his house, and all the others in the "links" must keep deadly quiet, no one being allowed in the room above him. The windows are all pasted with green paper, so that none may look in.

1/10/1939 Baba says that the war will contain more surprises, good and bad, as far as the war is concerned.

Baba washed about 7 mad today. He cleans their latrines daily. Elizabeth*** at Baba's suggestion, is to add six hens and a cock to her zoo.

The new Ashram is to be called the "Meher Baba Universal Spiritual Centre". At Chanji's suggestion 'Shri' was omitted and ashram replaced by centre, as both words were Hindu. While arguing about 'Shri', Baba suggested he might be called "The Meher Baba." He likes his bit of fun, does Baba.

6/10//1939 Baba has been rather ill during the last few days. He was like this before the start of the war, so it may be the war will take a turn for the worse shortly.

Two days ago I went and saw Lt. Col. Hance, the boss of the Bowring Hospital. He gave me the wireless news about the massing of troops on the borders of......... Baba says there will be more surprises this month in the war. It is, he says, all chalked out.

MY DAYS WITH THE MASTER