The story revolves around a nine-year old monk named Do-nyeom (Kim Tae-jin) who has lived most of his lonely life in a quiet mountain monastery headed by an aged Temple Master (Oh Young-soo).

Though the Master has put Do-nyeom on a strict regimen of Buddhist teachings, meditation, and chores, the child’s mind cannot help but wander to thoughts of his mother, whom he cannot remember but misses dearly and hopes to be reunited with one day. He also wishes that he could be like the other children who live in a nearby village, joining in with their games and attending their school.

Other than the Master, Do-nyeom’s only other companion is an older monk named Jung-sim (Kim Min-gyo), who is also straying from the path of enlightenment as a result of his constant carnal thoughts. The little monk also has occasional contact with the temple’s grounds keeper (Jeong Moo-song), who keeps Do-nyeom’s hopes up by reassuring him that his mother will indeed come back someday. But when several seasons go by without his mother’s return, Do-nyeom pegs his hopes on being adopted by the monastery’s benefactor, a wealthy widow (Kim Ye-ryeong) who drops by the temple every year to mourn her dead son.