What mysterious force impelled seven sages to find one another in a forgotten monastery in Tibet? Sensing the imminence of a worldwide catastrophe, these figures come to teach two young adolescents, Tenzin and Natina, the fundamental keys to wisdom.Each figure represents one of the major spiritual traditions: There is a Tibetan lama, an American Christian, an Indian mystic, an Israeli kabbalist, a Dutch philosopher, an African Sufi guru, a Mongolian shaman, and a Chinese Taoist master. Together they willfully forget what divides their respective cultures and religions in order to teach a philosophical and spiritual message founded on humanism. Their message is simple and universal, removed from any dogmatism, and addresses the fundamental question of how to lead a good life.Armed with this wisdom when the dreaded cataclysm occurs and black dust engulfs the world in darkness for forty days and forty nights, Tensin and Natina, the only survivors, are left to lead the way toward a better future.