10 JANUARY 1940 NIRODBARAN: There is a letter from Dr. Manilal. SRI AUROBINDO: I see. What does he write? NIRODBARAN: He says: "The Life Divine must now be in the press. So Sri Aurobindo must be having time to do the exercise I have recommended." SRI AUROBINDO: Which exercise? NIRODBARAN: Hanging the leg from above the knee-joint. SRI AUROBINDO: Oh! But my Life Divine is still hanging. I still have two chapters to labour at. NIRODBARAN: There's another letter—from Anilbaran— regarding the people of the Gita Prachar Party who are coming to visit the Ashram. Somebody wants you to answer the question, "Is there any effect of repeating a sacred Name and

24 FEBRUARY 1940 During breakfast the Mother spoke to Sri Aurobindo about his leg. THE MOTHER: An offer to cure your leg has come from Agarwal. He says he has got some Force by which he will rub his hand over your knee and cure it. He has cured one case of fracture like that. SRI AUROBINDO (shaking his head): You know there was another man who seemed to have such powers? THE MOTHER: No. CHAMPAKLAL: Yes, Mother; he has come for Darshan. Anilbaran says he has cured many cases of leprosy, typhoid and other illnesses. He cures by calling down your Force. THE MOTHER: If he cures with my Force, I can myself cure Sri Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo can himself do

20 JANUARY 1939 NIRODBARAN: Dilip says, about the subject of X's becoming a Buddhist from a Vaishnava, that it is not like that. He does not want to belong to any group or sect. SRI AUROBINDO: That is understandable. PURANI: Nothing seems to be given out in the papers about the interview between Chamberlain and Mussolini. Both parties say they are satisfied with the results. SRI AUROBINDO: I can't understand the present English policy. I don't know what England is after. France is being led by England—she is stuck to her like a tail. They say Mussolini is waiting for Franco's victory in Spain and then he will present his terms to France. Fran

30 DECEMBER 1938 SRI AUROBINDO: Yes; India also was considered docile and mild, like an elephant, but once the elephant is off the line you had better keep out of his way! Now there is a new morality in the air. They talk of pacifism, anti-nationalism, anti-militarism. But the talking is done by those who can't do things. In any case it has to stand the test of time, PURANI: Jwalanti (Madame Monod-Herzen) used to be wild when England began to shout against Italy's war on Abyssinia. Of course, she does not defend Italy, but England should be the last nation to raise a cry. SRI AUROBINDO: Quite so. England was the only country that defended air-bombin

1 FEBRUARY 1940 PURANI: I spoke to Kapali yesterday, and gave him the data from that book. He says the calculation of time according to the year of the gods must be different — 365 days of the human year would be one day of theirs or something like that. Then Kapali says that these calculations have been based on newly discovered planets which were unknown before. So how could any calculations have been made using the year of the gods when these planets didn't exist? SRI AUROBINDO: But the principle was there. They have introduced these planets now. We must also do the same. These Page-412 calculations aren't based on astrology but on prophecy and the prophec

26 OCTOBER 1939 PURANI: The seizure of the American ship City of Flint may create some change in America. SRI AUROBINDO: I don't think so, because it was carrying contraband. I am not quite sure, but I think that according to international law contraband goods are not allowed. NIRODBARAN: Fazlul Huque has come out with some grievances now, one of them being the muffling of the press by Congress Ministers. SRI AUROBINDO: That is to suppress communalism. What is he himself doing in Bengal? NIRODBARAN: C. R's statement seems very fine. In a few words he has expressed the whole thing. SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, but if he is going to call

19 DECEMBER 1939 SATYENDRA: Tagore can make a last attempt. NIRODBARAN: I think I too will again make an honest attempt to understand it. SRI AUROBINDO: But it is, I think, easier than books by Kant or other philosopher. EVENING We learnt that N. R. Sarkar had resigned. So the talk centered on that, it being the most important news of the day. Purani suggested that he may now join theHindu Mahasabha and do something against the Bengal ministry. That led the talk to the Hindu-Muslim problem and the charges of the Muslims against the Congress Ministries. NIRODBARAN: Yes, but what about the charges of the Bengal Hindus a

2 JANUARY 1940 SRI AUROBINDO (suddenly): Is Nolini Sen going today? NIRODBARAN: He has already gone. SRI AUROBINDO: His wife has sent a poem which she received in meditation. It is very good. Pavitra has seen the horoscopes of both husband and wife. He says they are complementary to each other. He has ability, the power of success. NIRODBARAN: Nolini Sen told me about his wife. About himself he said that he had some organising ability. The Government used to send him to places that were difficult to organise. So he has acquired a bad name as being strict and disciplinary. SRI AUROBINDO: He has a clear mind and seems to be an intellectual. NIRODBARAN: H

26 DECEMBER 1938 At about 5.30 p.m., four of our group— Champaklal, Satyendra, Becharlal and Nirodbaran— were seated on the carpet behind the head of Sri Aurobindo's bed and were whispering among themselves. Over some topic Champaklal broke into suppressed laughter and had to run away from the room. Satyendra and Nirodbaran controlled themselves with difficulty. Then at about 6.30 we all assembled by the side of Sri Aurobindo. Purani was still absent. SRI AUROBINDO (looking at us): What Divine Descent was it? NIRODBARAN: It was Champaklal who burst into laughter. SRI AUROBINDO: Oh, then it was Vishnu's Ananda that descended! As soon as he encou

20 FEBRUARY 1940 Dr. Manilal arrived at 10.00 a.m.; he made pranam to Sri Aurobindo and asked about the injured leg, for which he had advised "hanging" from the knee to help the flexion. SRI AUROBINDO: The leg is hanging very well. DR. MANILAL: I have brought some Ayurvedic medicine for you. I got it from a Madrasi lady who is an automatic writer and has great bhakti. She keeps your photo and Ramana Maharshi's and goes into trances. In her planchette sittings, some Rishi comes and dictates to her. I asked her about the defective flexion of your knee and she gave me this medicine, which is quite harmless—it is white mustard and raktapillai. She says your knee will be