Trichen Ngawang Norbu was a Gelug lama who served as the Eighty-first Ganden Tripa for five years, from 1876 to 1880. He was educated in Drepung Gomang and Gyuto monasteries. After occupying various posts at Gyuto he served as the Sharpa Choje, during which he acted as assistant tutor to the Eleventh Dalai Lama, Kedrub Gyatso, and participated in the search for the Twelfth Dalai Lama, Trinle Gyatso. During his tenure on the Golden Throne he restored Tradruk Monastery.

Lama Ngawang Drakpa was a 13th century Sakya lama involved in the transmission of the Dakarnava tantra. Otherwise nothing is currently known about him.

Nasa Dragpukpa Sonam Pel was the 17th lineage holder of the Sakya Lamdre teachings, which he received from Zhangton Kongchok Pel and passed on to Lama Pelden Tsultrim.

Śākyaśrībhadra (1127-1225) was a Kashmiri pandita who was invited to Tibet by Tropu Lotsawa. He arrived in 1204, at the age of seventy-eight, and remained for ten years, leaving in 1214. Active primarily in Tsang, his significance to Tibetan Buddhism is characterized by his initiating four important lineages of teaching: to Sakya Pandita he taught exoteric philosophy; pith instructions to Tropu Lotsawa; tantra to Chel Lotsawa; and Vinaya to Tsang Sowa Sonam Dze.

Minyak Pandita Drakpa Dorje (d. 1491) was a student of Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo  and a teacher of Sakya Lotsawa Jampai Dorje.

Little is known of Yeshe Gyeltsen (d. 1406) depicted in this painting, other than that he was a Sakya teacher of Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo.

Padampa Sanggye was a Buddhist adept well known for his teachings in Tibet, especially of the Prajñāpāramitā corpus and Mahāmudrā system, as well as what would become known as the Zhije tradition. He is also associated with Chod lineages: many sources describe him as a teacher of Machik Labdron, who would herself become known as the genetrix of Chod.

Trichen Chodrak Zangpo (1493-1559) served as the Twentieth Ganden Tripa, from 1552 to 1559. He studied in Takpu Chode and later at Gyume College, and served as lobpon there and at Ganden Jangtse college. He also served as the fourteenth abbot of Sera Tekchenling. During his tenure as Ganden Tripa he produced a set of applique thanka images of the Sixteen Arhats.

Trichen Lobzang Gyeltsen was a seventeenth-century Gelug lama who served as the Forty-first Ganden Tripa, from 1662 to 1667 or 1668. He studied in Taktsang Rawato and Gyuto College and served as educator at Gyuto and at Ganden Shartse College. Following his retirement from the Golden Throne he taught at several monasteries including Maldro Rinchenling.

Sonam Tsemo was the second of the Sakya Jetsun Gongma Nga, who were the five founding patriarchs of the Sakya order. He was also the fourth Sakya throne holder, although he served as active head of the monastery for only a few years.