The central teaching of general prajna is that there is no self. This is the essential meaning of the Five skandhas. The first skandha is form, the material aspect of our existence. The other four skandhas-ensation, perception, volition, and consciousness--make up the mental aspects of our existence. Genenl prajna teaches that the interactions between the skandhas give us the illusion of having a self, but since each of the skandhas is in fact empty, there is actually no abiding self.

The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination describe the origin of our existence in time as a causal sequence. It begins with ignorance and goes step by step to the last link, which is death. When we truly understand the twelve links, we see that nowhere in the chain does there arise a true self.