Patrick begins under a cloud of gloom, rejected by his girlfriend and unsure of his occupation. But an encounter with an old Chinese man gives him a message of hope - his fate is his to create if he is willing to let go of things as they are. So he begins again elsewhere, finding a job working with unemployed youth. But the simple search for sustenance can lead into vexing terrain. How will he relate to the sadness, anger and disillusionment of the young people? How will he respond to the sexuality of a co-worker? And how will he deal with the people on the management committee - the self-serving, the brutal, the scheming and the inept?
The gift the old man gave him, the I Ching, stands by him as he strives to establish peace and purpose in his work, and find a woman who will love him. Amid the chaos, he learns: I am not the master of the universe but I come from bliss and that way I serve all-that-is.