In this seminal work of Tibetan Buddhist studies, Cyrus Stearns has translated a text recounting the masters in the transmission line of the "Lam 'bras" or "Path with the Result" teachings in Tibet. "Luminous Lives" contains a detailed description of the "Lam 'bras" teachings and the text of the masters' biographies in English and Tibetan. This book is an essential reference work for those interested in the Sakyapa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

Cyrus Stearns has been a student of Tibetan Buddhism since 1973. His main teachers have been Dezhung Tulku Rinpoché, Chogyé Trichen Rinpoché, and Dilgo Khyentsé Rinpoché. He received a PhD in Buddhist studies from the University of Washington and has published several books about the Lamdré tradition and other topics. He is an independent scholar and translator living in the woods on Whidbey Island, north of Seattle, Washington.