Unflappable (Indonesia, Borobudur)

At Borobudur , the world's largest Buddhist temple, statuary engages in dialogue with the living. An insect has landed on the ushnisha —a cranial outgrowth symbolizing supreme wisdom—of a Buddha facing awakening . An insignificant gesture? Not here. In Mahāyāna Buddhism , all life, however tiny, is included in the cycle of co-presence. This involuntary scene embodies the notion of imperturbability : in mindfulness, we don't chase anything away. We welcome it. Even what moves. Even what scratches.