Bodhi, short for Bodhisattva, lives a simple life of meditation and quiet introspection, with a flower garden at the center of his universe. He has spent a billion lifetimes trying to help others reach Nirvana before allowing himself the same reward. Unfortunately for him, his current stage of reincarnation is happening in the quaint, small-minded town of Pleasant Lake, Indiana. Unsure of how he got there, and with no family or friends to speak of, he's forced to make connections with the simple people around him.

The Peony Sutra fuses philosophy and humor with the everyday lives of blue-collar workers in small-town Indiana. It weaves the small tragedies of the mundane into a compelling story that explores three questions central to the human experience: who am I, what's the meaning of life, and what happens when I die?