CHÖGYAM TRUNGPA (1940-1987) was a meditation master, teacher, and artist who founded Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, the first Buddhist-inspired university in North America; the Shambhala Training program; and an international association of meditation centers known as Shambhala International. He is the author of numerous books, including Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior, Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, and The Myth of Freedom.

DIANA MUKPO, the wife of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, was born in 1953 in England. Mrs. Mukpo moved to the United States in 1970, where she remained with Trungpa Rinpoche until his death in 1987. Diana has had a lifelong passion for horsemanship. She is among a handful of women ever trained in dressage at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. In addition to pursuing her own career and raising their five children, Diana often accompanied Trungpa Rinpoche and taught with him at seminars and retreats. She is the author of Dragon Thunder: My Life with Chögyam Trungpa. Since Rinpoche's death, Diana has continued to teach, presenting both her personal experiences with Trungpa Rinpoche, as well as sharing her knowledge of the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings.