282 The Law of the Rhythmic Breath 



tion, we may begin with Atma as one and count 

 down to seven. But our immediate concern is with 

 the evolution of the soul in its conquest of the 

 realm of matter. We are seeking to develop its 

 freedom and power, seeking to free our real selves 

 from the tyranny of uncontrolled sheaths of mat- 

 ter, and necessarily we must begin with the lower 

 or coarsest vehicles. Therefore, we should logi- 

 cally count from one upward to seven, and the low- 

 est sheath should be the most completely dominant 

 or perfected of the physical principles. 



The " Path " now is a spiral progression upward 

 and outward; involution was a descent downward 

 and inward. Our task is to release this inward 

 power, not from, but through its gross material ve- 

 hicles, that it may be active in all; and we must 

 seek it within. To do this we must understand the 

 sheaths in which the power is involved. There- 

 fore the important point is to know them by asso- 

 ciation with their corresponding centers of physi- 

 cal activity, which are invariable, and with their 

 normal colors and their tones or sounds. We must 

 learn the separate tones first before we can combine 

 them into harmonious chords and evolve melodies. 



Remember that the sounds are seen, not heard 

 on the physical plane. Mme. Blavatsky cites Ex- 

 odus, xx. 1 8., in support of this, and says, when 

 correctly translated the passage would read: 

 " And the people saw the Voices, and these Voices, 



