Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Letters

Fragment ID: 15864

(this fragment is largest or earliest found passage)

Sri Aurobindo — Vishnudutt

November 22, 1930

Yesterday morning I saw a number of green parrots in the beginning of my meditation. They had wings but could not fly and were coming crawling with great difficulty towards the centre. The colour of their beaks was light violet. They used to die as soon as they were reaching the centre. In this way innumerable parrots came and died. After this l-had calmness and blue colour as usual.

What were these parrots and their death? Have all visions some real meaning? Should I care to see these things and write to you whatever I see?

The centre is the centre of the true being. Green and violet are colours of the vital plane and the parrots seem to indicate movements of the vital mind which try to become luminous and join the truth centre. The absence of the power of flight in the wings indicates a defect, probably that they are unable to transcend the vital plane (however brilliant in that plane itself) and therefore cannot live when brought into contact with the truth centre. Their death is no loss; it only leaves unstained the calm and intensity of the spiritual consciousness indicated by the blue colour.

All visions have a significance of one kind or another. This power of vision is very important for the Yoga and should not be neglected although it is not the most important thing – for the one most important thing is the change of the consciousness. All other powers like this of visions should be developed without attachment as parts and aims of the Yoga.

Sri Aurobindo