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 terma treasure—as protection from the changes of time—and revealed centuries later ba a tertön, a reincarnation of an accomplished student of Padmasambhava who had made the aspiration to benefit people in future generations.

Also included are 'A Clarification of the Life of Padmasambhava,' by Tsele Natsok Rangdröl, an extensive glossary and index, and a bibliography of Tibetan and English sources. The endnotes and the glossary are drawn from authentic ancient scriptures, intended to illuminate the historical background of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings.

"The first complete version of Guru Rinpoche’s life, The Lotus-Born translated by Erik Pema Kunsang, one of the most able and prolific Western translators, comes highly recommended. What a relief to be able to sit down and read a treasure in which we can have full confidence in both the words and the meaning. He has put Guru Rinpoche’s life into meaningful context by including with his translation a foreword by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and a short work by Tsele Natsok Rangdröl, a master of the seventeenth century."
- Ngawang Zangpo, author of Guru Rinpoche: His Life and Times