Buddha is the most shattering individual in the whole history of humanity. His whole effort is to drop all props. He does not say to believe in anything. He is an unbeliever and his religion is that of un-belief. He does not say “Believe!” he says “Doubt!”
Now, you have heard about religions which say “Believe!” You have never heard about a religion which says “Doubt!” Doubt is the very methodology — DOUBT to the very core, doubt to the very end, doubt to the very last. And when you have doubted everything, and you have dropped everything out of doubt, then reality arises in your vision. It has nothing to do with your beliefs about God. It is nothing like your so-called God. Then arises reality: absolutely unfamiliar and unknown.
But that possibility exists only when all the beliefs have been dropped and the mind has come to a state of maturity, understanding, acceptance that “Whatsoever is is, and we don’t desire otherwise. If there is no God, there is no God, and we don’t have any desire to project a God. If there is no God, then we accept it.”
This is what maturity is: to accept the fact and not to create a fiction around it; to accept the reality as it is, without trying to sweeten it, without trying to decorate it, without trying to make it more acceptable to your heart. If it is shattering, it is shattering. If it is shocking, it is shocking. If the truth kills, then one is ready to be killed.