To be able to solve problems. To be able to answer the question. That would be to do. That would be to heal. Mathematician develops transformation (as the central idea) to actually link these two immensely powerful ideas, using the underlying fact that they ARE already potentially linked. Psychologically, we are interested in the force that can bring about transformation. Our starting point is clear. We have used all kind of means to bring about the desired transformation that would heal us and the result was nothing. We have seen that usual methods, usual approach leads nowhere. (Only then we can speak of higher teaching with some right. Otherwise it is only teaching. At the same time it is clear that higher teaching can be the same teaching we have always 'known' but only as teaching. How could dead teaching transform a living being?)
The interesting thing (interesting because it occuppies all our attention in the astonishing moment that we begin to grasp something of it ) is that if our problem is real, and our problem is real, it must be lawfully (lawfully: in this case: obviously, evidently, at least to some degree) connected with its solution. In other words, our salvation is guaranteed, so to speak. Is there problem when we see the solution? No, not anymore! Was it an illusion? No! What was it? We hate to write it, it is so simple that it could easily appeal to formatory mind: it was part of the solution. This undeniable foundation is called "faith", and faith, in this sense, is rightly called knowledge.
Theology. Church and monastery and the 'believing' crowd have become disgrace to theology. Just look how high and beautiful the idea behind a word consisting of two such all-including ideas must be in reality, originally. One angle from which look at the word could be as follows. You know there are four kinds of thinking or four levels of operation of the human machine. Irrational, logical, psychological and esoteric. To aim at esoteric thinking is the same as to say that you aim at God. You have the oxygen of your logical thinking which you hold so precious, mainly because it had to be wrestled from the irrationality that governs your being. But in comparison to higher level it is pretty much worthless, even an obstacle. Now the carbon of esoteric teaching can act on the oxygen through such 'theologic' direction of the being and transform it to psychologic thinking, the next level.
Thus optimism is poison, trick, feeble imitation of real faith. There's no place for dark tricks in the way of light. Freely use analogies from optics to illustrate this point to yourself.
People in ISOTM were given task to place the law of octaves in the centre of their minds for some time, to think of it and apply it to everythig, to connect everything with it and to it. There could be reason in our trying to do the same for some time, just as they. Though "for some time" sounds like an ugly trick to us. Like: swim as far into the ocean as you can for as long as you can for some time. You will never return to the shore again.