Book excerpt: Motivated by the purest of compassion, the Gyalwang Karmapas have taken rebirth continuously since the eleventh century. The present seventeenth incarnation, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, was born in Eastern Tibet in 1985. Seven years later, he was recognized by a letter of prediction and brought to Tsurphu Monastery, the seat of the Karmapas in Tibet. Here, he received a traditional education in practice and philosophy, and at the turn of the millennium, he journeyed over the Himalayas to India where he presently resides. Known for his clear and direct teaching style, the youthful Karmapa radiates the brilliance of his heritage. Traveling the Path of Compassion, his commentary on The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva connects this revered text with our daily lives and our deepest aspirations.