Acharya Prashant explains that Hinduism, in its true essence, is not a religion in the same way that Christianity or Islam are. He argues that while religions typically require belief, the spiritual core of Hinduism—Sanatana Dharma—is actually a state of being religion-less. He posits that a spiritual person does not belong to any 'ism' because they live in the essence of the self rather than in mental beliefs. He suggests that the more Hinduism is treated as a formal religion with frozen patterns of thought, the more its real essence is destroyed. He defines Sanatana Dharma as eternal religiousness or awakened intelligence, which is beyond time and different from the crutches of organized religion. Referring to Shri Krishna's teachings on Swadharma, he clarifies that this refers to the action of intelligence rather than a religious identity. He describes India not as a geographical location but as a state of mind that prioritizes the spiritual over the material. Ultimately, he asserts that the Upanishads, Buddha, and Mahavir do not provide religions but offer liberation from religion, which he identifies as true religiousness.