The concept of “emptiness” here is not a form of nihilism as some early Western scholars of Buddhism thought; it simply means that all things are empty of an inherent, unchanging, and permanent nature—no thing exists independently and remains fixed, but rather arises due to a set of constantly changing causes and conditions. This is the insight of interbeing.

We can see that this insight in the Prajn͂āpāramitā sūtra arose from such essential Buddhist teachings as dependent co-arising (pratityasamutpada). It’s important to remember that the Mahayana draws upon the same teachings that are the basis for the Theravada school. Rather than stopping there, however, Mahayana thinkers continued to expand upon these teachings, adding new insights and interpretations to respond to the changing conditions and spiritual needs of the people. So we should not think of the Mahayana as a rejection of the early Buddhist canon but rather as a continuation and a new way of presenting its insights to fit the times.