Little is known about the life of Vatsyayana, but various authorities suggest that he lived in the third century CE. He is believed to have been a devout man who led the life of a religious student of Hinduism. The translation presented in this edition is by Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890), the British diplomat, explorer and orientalist who discovered the text in the 19th century and made it available in the West. John Baldock, studied art history at the École du Louvre, Paris. His encounter with sacred art led to an exploration of the world's major religious and spiritual traditions. After a period of teaching art and art history in schools in England, during which he continued his spiritual studies, he left teaching to pursue a career as a writer. His books include The Essence of Sufism, The Essence of Rumi and an anthology of Zen wisdom.