Padmasambhava was also known as Guru Rinpoche and the Lotus Guru. He is regarded as the founder of the Nyingma tradition, the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

Lama Kazi Dawa-Samsup (1868-1922) is now best known as one of the first translators of important works of Tibetan Buddhism into the English language and a pioneer central to the transmission of Buddhism in the West.

John Baldock studied art history at the École du Louvre, Paris. His encounter with sacred art led to an exploration of the world's major religious and spiritual traditions. After a period of teaching art and art history in schools in England, during which he continued his spiritual studies, he left teaching to pursue a career as a writer. His books include The Essence of Sufism, The Essence of Rumi and an anthology of Zen wisdom.