As the second millennium drew to a close, the Seventeenth Karmapa leapt from a roof of his monastery in Tibet. Evading his Chinese guards, the 14-year-old spiritual leader began a grueling, dangerous journey to India. The Karmapa's picture has appeared all over the world since then -- yet his own words are hard to find. Now, for the first time in print, Music in the Sky offers a series of the Karmapa's profound teachings, an extensive selection of his poetry, and a detailed account of his life and flight from his homeland. The amazing teaching and writing skills evident in this work -- particularly in light of the fact that the Karmapa is still only 17 years old -- will captivate readers.
Music in the Sky concludes with brief biographies of all sixteen previous Karmapas, specially composed for this collection by the highly respected Seventh Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. Here, the reader will discover the compelling histories of the first Tibetan masters to be recognized as reincarnate lamas. Music in the Sky presents a definitive portrait of the Seventeenth Karmapa, strengthened and illuminated by an authoritative depiction of his place in the world's most revered lines of spiritual teachers.

Music in the Sky, Michele Martin, Snow Lion Publications, Paperback, 40 color plates, 351 pages, $18.95

Michele Martin has been a Buddhist practitioner for over thirty years and has spent the last fifteen years based in Nepal and India studying with Tibetan lamas and working as a translator of oral and written Tibetan. Her publications include numerous translations from Tibetan texts on philosophy and meditation, and also articles on Buddhism. For the last two years she has translated for the Karmapa and currently lives in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York.

Acknowledgments
Introduction

PART I: The Life Story of the Seventeenth Karmapa
 1 The Discovery
 2 Return to Tsurphu
 3 Visions and Rainbows
 4 “It's Now or Never"
 5 Escape from Tsurphu
 6 Over the Highest Mountains
 7 Times of Uncertainty
 8 Emerging As a Leader

PART II: The Teachings of the Seventeenth Karmapa

PART III: The Poetry of the Seventeenth Karmapa

PART IV: The History of the Karmapas
     Introduction to the History of the Karmapas
     A Traditional Narrative of the Karmapas
     Brief Histories of the Sixteen Karmapas
     Songs of the Sixteenth Karmapa

Appendix: Tibetan Names
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography