Beliefs vs direct experiences

Most religions are based on beliefs in a personal God. This could cause numerous problems. Firstly such a belief often leads to dogma which is in nature an extension of the human ego and human baseness. Secondly a belief which is based on second-hand knowledge (most preachers of religion today have never experienced the divine directly) cannot possibly be accurate. Thirdly attributing personal qualities to God can only lead to delusion, division and conflict.

Sages and those who seek real Enlightenment, on the other hand, might not believe in God. For belief or non-belief has no bearings on his innter being. In fact, many sages in the East have said that in order to gain Enligtenment, one has to be rid of all beliefs. Lord Buddha said that 'form is not different from emptiness, and emptiness is not dirrerent from form. Form is then empty and the empty is then form'. [The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra as translated by Charles Patton]. He also told his followers, 'you should all know that the Dharma I speak is like a raft. You must let go of dharmas. Even more so let go of non-dharmas'.[The Diamond Sutra]. These sayings were uttered so that people won't become obsessed with names, forms, beliefs and ideas. Even if there is utter truth is a doctrine, it should only be used as a raft to sail across. If one gets attached to the raft that once he reaches the shore he still wants to carry it with him, then the tool will become a hindrance rather then a help.

An Indian teacher said that his teachings only serve as the finger pointing to the silver moon. If one keeps staring at the finger and even starts worshiping it, he will never be able to see the silver moon (the ultimate Reality, the Way, God, the Divine) in the sky. 

Taoist luminaries of the old (I'm not on about Taoist religious leaders) have always taught the same. Each one of them has emphasized that what they'd laid out in their teachings should serve as guidlines or ladders for aspirants to reach where they need to go. Because their motive in teaching is completely selfless, none of them ever tried to impose their teachings on people. As a matter of fact, large part of Taoist internal knowledge was kept secret as 'celestrial mechanism' for fear of falling into the hands of unworthy worldlings.

The Divine may be experienced directly by those few individuals who've done the work to purity themselves. But it may not be described by language or words because words are confined to human consciousness and the Divine is beyond human mentality. I personally think the best description ever put to words are the following lines uttered by Lao Tzu:-

Image of Lao Tze

There was something formless and perfect

before the universe was born.
It is serene. Empty.

Solitary. Unchanging.

Infinite. Eternally present.

It is the mother of universe.

For lack of a better name,

I call it the Tao.

[Tao Te Ching as translated by Stephen Mitchell]