A lot of people look at structures like Borobudur and see artwork. But they were actually teachings. During the 8th to 10th centuries, most people were illiterate. They couldn't simply pick up a Buddhist text and read the sutras for themselves. So the rulers essentially created a visual comic book made out of stone. The walls are covered with thousands of carved panels depicting stories, human behavior, suffering, compassion, desire, morality, and the path toward enlightenment. You didn't need to be able to read. You could look at the images and understand the lesson. And that's one of the things I find fascinating about Buddhism. The teachings aren't really tied to a particular period in history. They're observations about the human mind. Human beings experienced desire, suffering, attachment, fear, greed, compassion, and ignorance 1,200 years ago. We experience them today. So yes, part of Borobudur is incredible art. Part of it is a ruler showing off what his civilization...