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Author Dang reflects upon his life as one of nine children born to a farming family in a small village in the southern region of Vietnam. In this charming spiritual memoir, Dang candidly reveals his desires and uncertainties during his youthful quest to acquire a degree in economics, establish himself in a business career, and marry and start his own family. After Dang matures, he meets a Buddhist monk and is inspired by his peaceful nature and their conversation about the Dharma. He begins a daily contemplation of the Lotus Sutra, highly respected for its emphasis on skillful means to gain enlightenment. Dang fully adopts this Buddhist philosophy and finds that living mindfully in the moment reveals life's obstacles to be illusory when habitual negative thoughts are replaced with thoughts of love and compassion. This inner awakening manifests in his life with renewed energy for achieving harmony in his work and family life.
Throughout his narrative, Dang reveals many practical and important lessons that arise within the ordinary circumstances of our lives. He reminds the reader that "Human nature is greedy. When we have what we want, other desires arise. When we don't have money, we want money. When we have too much money, we want power. When we have power, we want it to be the strongest. Therefore, we will be caught up in greed…. There is no ending of desires." The writing and English translation are a bit uneven in this book. However, the author's life trajectory and his messages of hope and transformation will be crystal clear to the reader, much like the lotus flower that rises from muddy water and into the light.