B901 <=> B903 [BTG XLI The bokharian dervish, p. 902]

“And any information, even if true, gives to beings in general only ‘mental knowledge,’ and this mental knowledge, as I have already once told you, always serves beings only as a means to diminish their possibilities of acquiring this knowledge-of-being.

“And since the sole means left to these unfortunate three-brained beings of your planet for their complete liberation from the consequences of the properties of the organ Kundabuffer are just this knowledge-of-being, therefore this command was given to the beings of our tribe under oath concerning the beings of the Earth.

“And that is why, my boy, I did not just then in front of the dervish Bogga-Eddin, decide to explain to this worthy terrestrial sage Hadji-Asvatz-Troov, the real reason of his failure.

“But as both dervishes were waiting for my reply, I had in any case to tell them something, and therefore, addressing Hadji-Asvatz-Troov, I then told him only as follows:

“’Venerable Hadji-Asvatz-Troov! If you agree to have my answer not now but a little later, then I swear by the cause of my arising that I will give you an answer which will fully satisfy you. You will be convinced not only that your beloved science is the truest of all sciences, but also that since the great scientists, the saints Choon-Kil-Tez and Choon-Tro-Pel, you are the greatest scientist of the Earth.’

“At this reply of mine, that venerable dervish Hadji-Asvatz-Troov merely placed his right hand on the place where the heart is located in terrestrial beings – and in that locality this gesture means ‘I believe and hope without doubt.’

“Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned to the dervish Bogga-Eddin and began again to speak about the science Shat-Chai-Mernis.