Milarepa (1040–1123)

The greatest of all Tibetan Buddhist sages, seen as the founder of one of the four main schools of Lamaism, the Kagyu school, whose central purpose is meditation.

Milarepa's life is told in a classic of Buddhist spirituality written down in the 15th century. After an early life of hardship and of powerful evil magic, Milarepa repented and went to study Buddhism under the master Marpa. From him he learned the importance of solitary meditation, even walling himself up for years at a time. Milarepa is not just beloved by the Kagyu school, which he founded; he stands as the paragon of the Tibetan mystic and hermit and is a popular figure of devotion.