More than a thousand years ago, the great Indian teacher Padmasambhava came to the remote part of the eastern Himalayas now known as Bhutan. Although Padmasambhava (or "Guru Rinpoche," as he is known in Bhutan) was not the first Buddhist teacher to come to this part of the Himalayan region, his presence proved to be a defining and lasting influence on the life and culture of Bhutan.

Guru Rinpoche was an important historical figure, highly respected for his compassion and wisdom in India and Tibet before he ever traveled to Bhutan. He first arrived in central Bhutan before moving west to the Paro Valley sometime in the eighth century. According to tradition, he reached a high cliff-side cave 2,000 feet above the Paro Valley floor atop a flying tigress. For anyone who has been lucky enough to see the site today (the location of the great Taktsang, or Tiger's Nest, monastery), it is easy to understand why this may be the only reasonable explanation of how he got there.