Acharya Prashant addresses the question of why Buddha was called an atheist (nastik). He explains that calling Buddha an atheist is foolishness and madness. He asserts that Buddha reached the depths of Vedanta more profoundly than any other sage of his time. The so-called sages of that era did not understand Vedanta themselves, and because of their own ignorance, they labeled the one who was a true Vedantin, Buddha, as an atheist. Their definition of a theist (astik) was limited to someone who followed the rituals (karmakand) of the Vedas, which often involved violence like animal sacrifice. The core of the conflict, as Acharya Prashant explains, was that Buddha opposed these rituals. He saw them as a way of looting simple people and an act of violence that he could not tolerate. Since he rejected the rituals that the ritualists equated with the Vedas, they branded him an atheist. Acharya Prashant clarifies that the true essence of the Vedas is not ritualism but Vedanta. Therefore, Buddha was, in fact, the greatest theist of his time. He suggests that the right question is not why Buddha was called an atheist, but *who* called him one—it was the ritualists who would naturally see him as such. Connecting this to the modern era, Acharya Prashant argues that if the Vedas are reduced to mere rituals, they will inevitably be lost because the contemporary, science-educated generation will not accept such superstitions. He states that all religions based on customs and traditions will eventually turn to dust. Quoting Swami Vivekananda, he says that the religion of the future is only Vedanta because it addresses the eternal human quest for liberation, which is the only immortal aspect of religion. In response to a follow-up question about taking on challenges, Acharya Prashant explains that the law of the inner world is the opposite of the outer world. Externally, one needs strength before lifting a weight, but internally, taking on a great challenge or responsibility is what reveals the immense strength that is already present but hidden within. He quotes Marianne Williamson: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us." This fear, he says, belongs to the ego, which fears its own dissolution when one's true power is realized.