The Root Belief

The ego (self-image) is the root belief - all of the others are offshoots. From this image of separation, gods are born, "enlightenment" is conceived, Hells and heavens in all of their threat and promise are imagined. The seeker is also born - the one seeking reunion. As long as the premise of a separate self isn't seen through, the search will go on. One can pray, meditate, stand on their head, self-flagellate, follow a guru, create religions, chant "hari-krishna," ring bells, burn incense, become a beggar, devote their life to causes, fight for truth, give it all away, fast, find god, lose god, etc. When the self-image is seen as the flimsy, fickle construct it is, what was considered outside of oneself collapses into the singularity too. We were never apart from the universe or natural process. The lonely ego and lonely deity it imagined outside of itself collapse into oneness as well. 

Of course these words are just another possible description and perspective - like all words. The only reason we get so caught on them is our specie's penchant for abstract, symbolic thinking. If there is a "reality," it's only found beyond the words and images. Burn the maps. Only when we're truly lost are we truly found. The ego-idea hates this kind of talk, though - it wants security, something it can never have. It can't even appear to exist outside of thought.