It tells the story of the little monk Yi Chan, his master, and the various people and events around them, through which he gains insights into the truths of life, understanding the joys and sorrows, the gatherings and separations, the resentments and loves, and the unattainable desires of all living beings in the mortal world. Through the little monk's perspective, the world is observed, and the old monk's words are used to expound on the various principles of life.