exhibition map General information on the culture Milarepa Thangka from what was probably a 19-part series, glue tempera on fabric, dimensions of the paintings: each about 81 x 51 cm East Tibet, 19th century IId 13766 (Essen I-79) Milarepa (1040-1123) was not only an influential teacher, but is also remembered in the literary history of Tibet as a highly respected poet. Our knowledge of his life stems mainly from the biography by his pupil Rechungpa (1084-1161). This often served as a model for an illustrated series based on the life of Milarepa. On this thangka, Milarepa uses songs to teach his disciple Rechungpa about events depicted in the small scenes surrounding him. In his youth, Milarepa decided to study black magic to seek revenge on his relatives who abandoned him to a life of bitter poverty following the death of his parents. This is why, at the lower left, a black scorpion, which he has invoked, is attacking his uncle's house.      Drogmi (Detail) Sculpture, hollow brass casting, height: 38 cm Tibet, 16th century IId 14023 (Essen I-71) During the so-called Chidar epoch, the period of the "later dissemination" (of Buddhism in Tibet) from 978 AD onwards, many generations of Tibetan pilgrims moved to eastern India to study at the famous monastery universities. In Bengal and Nepal, the scholar Drogmi (approx. 992-1074) not only received thorough initiation into the Hevajra tantra, but also acquired the qualification for his knowledge: he is considered one of the main translators (lotsawa) of Indo-Buddhist literature. His pupil Khon Konchog Gyalpo (1034-1102) was the founder of the monastery that was to give its name to an entire order: Sakya ("grey earth"). Drogmi is therefore seen as spiritual ancestor of the Sakya school. The appeal of the sculpted image in the collection of the Museum der Kulturen Basel stems from its life-like features. The face radiates the composure of a lachen ("great lama"). This is also how Drogmi is referred to in the sculpture's inscription.      Buddha Vajradhara in Yab-Yum Sculpture, three-part hollow brass and copper casting, height: 38.5 cm Tibet, 1500-1550 IId 13875 (Essen I-3) The Primal Buddha must be seen on a visionary level, removed from space and time. This unusual sculpture shows him with Prajnâpâramitâ, his partner in wisdom, the embodiment of "perfect wisdom" as described in the sûtra of the heart. In contrast to representations of many tantric deities, Buddhas are rarely seen in this so-called yab-yum ("father-mother") pose. The spiritual union of the female and male principle embodies the Absolute, which implies the dissolution of polarities. This physical position, which should not really be seen as a sexual union, embodies the penetration of wisdom and compassion - the two virtues that are of fundamental importance in Tibetan Buddhism.      Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Sculpture, hollow brass casting, height: 67 cm Tibet, 15th/16th century IId 13927 (Essen I-39) Praise be to Lokeshvara. This bronze statue.... (was donated) in memory of the great scholar and monk Kunga Jamyang by the monks who revere him ... May all beings, who were once mothers, be reincarnated into the Sukhâvatî paradise through this merit. These are the words engraved on the base of this religious sculpture - the image of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who embodies all-encompassing compassion. According to legend, the tortures of the beings agonising in the hells touched Avalokiteshvara so greatly that grief caused his head to split into eleven pieces, which his spiritual father Amitâbha put back together again. This is why he is represented here with eleven heads. Avalokiteshvara (in Tibetan Chenrezig) is worshipped as a protective deity of Tibet and the Dalai Lamas are seen as his earthly incarnation. Avalokiteshvara's mantra is "Om Mani Padme Hum".      Hevajra Sculpture, three-part hollow brass casting, height: 29 cm South Tibet, 18th century IId 13906 (Essen I-104) The Hevajra tantra is one of Buddhism's most important ritual texts. It was created in the 9th century and its name says it al: it is exclusively dedicated to the invocation - He! - of the Absolute - vajra - and thus belongs to the highest tantric class. The teaching contents of a tantra can take on a personified form and become a deity bearing the name of the tantra. Hevajra, for example, is always represented in a "father-mother" pose (yab-yum), with eight faces, four legs and sixteen arms. While his lowest pair of hands are crossed around Nairâtmâ, his partner in wisdom, in the gesture of union (vajrahûmkâra-mudrâ), his other arms are extended like a nimbus. It is the skill of the artist that ensures that such complex deities appear proportionally "correct" despite their many heads and limbs.      Stemmed drum (tib. nga) Musical instrument, carved and painted wood covered with yak leather, diameter: 50 cm Tibet, undated IId 14287 (Essen II-574) The gonkhang of a monastery - the room of the wrathful protective deities - often has its own monk appointed to bang a large drum uninterruptedly to honour and pacify the protective god Mahâkâla. Stemmed drums of this kind are also used to invoke deities or to provide a gentle musical background for the singing of the orchestra of monks. The monotonous, even beat is ideally suited to accompanying meditation because it provides extremely suggestive and evocative vibrations.