A Vietnamese near-centenarian living in New Orleans reminisces on wars he experienced, ideas he held, and countries he saw during the 20th century with the help of the ghost of an old friend: Ho Chi Minh.

In present-day New York City, a strained lawyer writes to a stranger, an eating disorder doctor, in hopes of confronting the man about an overheard phone conversation.

A man fantasizes about courting his friend's wife, despite being married himself, with increasing desire.

An actor dying of AIDS prepares to play the role of Richard Nixon the night after the president’s death.

While teaching a student his practice, an ailing Buddhist monk reflects on his life and his violent relationship with his family.

In a Thai village, the life of a boy who the head monk believes has unlocked the highest state of enlightenment is jeopardized when the village chief seeks to exploit the local festival of floating lanterns for profit. Upon finding out the Thai village chief's evil scheme for the local lantern festival, a precocious child's life is threatened.

When the Dalai Lama approaches a New York engineer with a strange request, mankind finds itself closer to the end of the world than ever before.

A Buddhist monk tells a visitor about an enchanting woman he met and why he feels he must redeem himself.