146 The Law of the Rhythmic Breath 



" itself five-fold " through " unfolding " the va- 

 rious elements, or Tattvas, in these several mani- 

 festations. There are said to be " five gates to 

 the heart," for the Devas, or senses (remem- 

 ber that every sense corresponds to a special 

 Tattva which stimulates its activity), and the heart 

 is the ruler of the sensuous and active organs. The 

 heart receives impressions from the positive Prana, 

 and it is the' nature of the heart's reflection of these 

 upon which human actions and the work of the 

 world depend. The eastern gate is Prdna, man- 

 ifested in " up-breathing." Apdna, the western 

 gate, is described as down-breathing, and the deity 

 that exists in the earth (in modern phraseology, 

 gravity) is there to support man's Apana, ever at- 

 tracting its activities downwards. 



Samdna, the northern gate, is described as on- 

 breathing, because it impels the grosser materials 

 of food to the Apdna, and conveys the finer and 

 more subtle nutriment to the limbs. Fydna is the 

 southern gate, and, pervading the blood-A^w, is 

 recognized as back-breathing. Uddna is called the 

 upper gate, and distinguished as out-breathing, be- 

 ing most perceptible in the throat. Now, this up- 

 ward impulse has its normal beneficent phase, en- 

 couraging " growth, lightness and agility," and it 

 is evil only when the currents are unbalanced; for 

 the Tattvic Law of Harmony requires that these 



