Acharya Prashant explains that the historical Gautam Buddha's path was one of absolute negation, which is why he did not need to speak of concepts like Soul (Atma) or God (Ishwara). Buddha taught that what people call the Self (Atman) is actually not the Self but a mere imagination. Therefore, he spoke in the language of 'Anatma' (not-self), asserting that the moment you conceptualize or speak of Atma, it turns into Anatma. He believed it was better not to talk about Atma, as doing so would render it false. This approach, the speaker notes, is both beautiful and authentic. The speaker elaborates that 'Atma' means 'me,' and anything we associate with this 'me-ness' eventually becomes a source of trouble because it is impermanent and incidental. Buddha's method involved questioning our sense of 'I' and all the identities and relationships we cling to, pointing out that they are all subject to time and betrayal, which keeps us in a state of fear and suspicion. Instead of offering new fantasies, Buddha's aim was to show that our existing possessions and self-certified knowledge prevent us from living freely. He emphasized that the only problem one has is 'that which you have.' Clarifying the relationship between Vedanta and Buddhism, Acharya Prashant states that the 'Aham' (I-sense) of Vedanta is what Buddha refers to as 'Anatma'; the difference is merely in the words used. While Vedanta speaks of 'Atma,' Buddha remains silent on the topic, and this silence corresponds to 'Shunyata' (void or emptiness). Regarding 'Ishwara' (God), Buddha had no interest in the concept. The speaker adds that even in Vedanta, as per Adi Shankaracharya, Ishwara is a necessary concept only as long as the individual self (Jiva) perceives itself as real. When one realizes they are Atma, the concept of Ishwara dissolves, and only Atma, also known as Brahman, remains.