About the Author

Padma Sambhava was an eighth-century sage guru who is said to have introduced Vajrayana, or Tantric, Buddhism to Bhutan, Tibet, and surrounding countries. Robert A. Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the department of religion at Columbia University and the author of The Jewel Tree of Tibet and Why the Dalai Lama Matters. He lives in New York City. The Dalai Lama is internationally recognized as an advocate of world peace and interreligious understanding. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and is the author of several books, including The Art of Happiness and How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life.