Bali Stone Carvings and Green Moss | From the Dry Season to the Eyes of Indigenous Peoples: Between Hardness and Softness, a Philosophy of Accepting Fate and Being Optimistic About Life

A common sight in Bali's villages and temples is stone carvings. Some of these carvings depict the faces of deities, others the forms of guardian animals. Over time, rain and moisture have nurtured green moss on their surfaces. The union of stone and moss is more than a natural coincidence, but a silent dialogue: the hard stone and the soft moss together weave a texture of time. This reminds me of the local drought. The earth is cracked, life is difficult, yet the residents maintain a look of resigned optimism. That look, like the moss on the stone carvings, is unassuming yet stubbornly present. They accept the vicissitudes of fate while finding reasons to smile within limited resources. Travel allows us to see not only the scenery, but the spirit within these details. Stone carvings and moss, the dry season and the gaze, weave together to create a different kind of beauty in Bali: an attitude unfazed by time and adversity, a wisdom that allows life to flow naturally.