Do you believe in God?

I was reading through some wonderful wise words of my First teacher and found this lovely story, that speaks directly to the heart of understanding the nature of our beliefs and our belief in God.

   Once Sri Raman, one of the great seers of this age, was asked by a journalist coming from the West,     "Do you believe in God?"

   Sri Raman said, "No."

   The man was shocked. He had heard that this man has realized God, and now

   he says he does not believe in God! He repeated the question. He said,

   "Have you heard me rightly? I am asking, "Do you believe in God?"

   Raman said, "I have heard it. Do you understand what I have said? I don't believe in God, because I know. There is no need of belief. I know the whole existence is divine. There is no personal God anywhere. Every part of this universe is divine. I know it, there is no question of believing." Beliefs are to distract people from discovering the beauty, the grandeur, the splendor, the divinity of existence.