Later Buddhists (after Buddha)
- Aryadeva, foremost disciple of Nagarjuna, continued the philosophical school of Madhyamaka
- Asanga, under of the Yogachara school, widely considered the most important Mahayana philosopher (with Nagarjuna)
- Atisha, holder of the “mind training” (Tib. lojong) teachings, considered an indirect founder of the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism
- Bhavaviveka, early expositor of the Svatantrika Madhyamaka
- Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen/Chán
- Bodhiruci, patriarch of the Ti-Lun school
- Buddhabhadra, founding abbot and patriarch of the Shaolin temple
- Buddhaghosa, (Theravadin commentator)
- Buddhapalita, early expositor of the Prasangika Madhyamaka
- Chandragomin, renowned grammarian
- Chandrakirti, considered the greatest exponent of Prasangika Madhyamaka
- Dharmakirti, famed logician, author of the Seven Treatises; student of Dignana's student Ishvarasena; said to have debated famed Hindu scholar Shankara
- Dignaga, famed logician
- Kamalashila (8th century), author of important texts on meditation
- Luipa, one of the eighty-four tantric Mahasiddhas
- Nagarjuna, founder of the Madhyamaka school, widely considered the most important Mahayana philosopher (with Asanga)
- Nadapada, (Tib. Naropa), Tilopa's primary disciple, teacher of Marpa the Translator and Khungpo Nyaljor
- Padmasambhava (Tib. Guru Rinpoche) Indian founder of Tibetan Buddhism
- Prahevajra (Tib. Garab Dorje) Indian founder of Dzogchen (Total Perfection) tradition
- Saraha, famed mahasiddha, forefather of the Tibetan Kagyu lineage
- Shantarakshita, abbot of Nalanda, founder of the Yogachara-Madhyamaka who helped Padmasambhava establish Buddhism in Tibet
- Shantideva, (8th century) author of the Bodhisattvacaryavatra
- Talika, (Tilopa in Tibetan), recipient of four separate transmissions from Nagarjuna, Nagpopa, Luipa, and Khandro Kalpa Zangmo; Naropa's teacher
- Vasubandhu, author of (1) the Abhidharmakosha and (2) various Yogacara treatises; these may or may not be the same person
Read more about this topic: List Of Buddhists, Historical Buddhist Thinkers and Founders of Schools