Padmasambhava, the Lotus-Born Indian mystic and tantric master, is second only to Skakyamuni as the most famous figure in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. In the ninth century, he journeyed across the Himalayan Mountains to establish Buddhism for the people of Tibet. This legendary tale interweaves narration with timeless advice to all spiritual practitioners.

Here, in English for the first time, is the complete story of how Buddhism was planted in Tibet. The Lotus-Born is a translation of a biography that was concealed as a terma treasure—as protection from the changes of time—and revealed centuries later by a tertön, a reincarnation of an accomplished student of Padmasambhava who had made the aspiration to benefit people in future generations. Also included is a Foreword by His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse and “A Clarification of the Life of Padmasambhava” by Tsele Natsok Rangdröl.