What is the most central teaching in Buddhism? It is what the Buddha discovered: Dependent Origination! The Buddha taught that all phenomena (such as humans) are conditioned, impermanent, and interconnected. No conditioned phenomena can arise from “nothing” or exist “independently” from others / on their own. They do not have an “unchanging and independent self”. All conditioned phenomena come into existence only when the causes and conditions are right/ripe. And that all conditioned phenomena cease when the causes and conditions that gave rise to them cease.