Some eight years later, the world has spun a few times and what had been certainties in both those men's lives have proven fleeting. Otto, is facing the future alone after the death of his wife and the departure of his children to make their own lives, plus he has lost his job and along with it the last thing that grounded him and gave his life structure. For Rinpoche, the changes have been less daunting but nonetheless dramatic, as he wonders about the encroachment of both technology and daily society on the solitude and peace of his North Dakota retreat, and is forced to acknowledge that the likely appearance of a new Dalai Lama will have a direct impact on his life.

So Otto and Rinpoche take to the road, in search of their futures, traveling deep into the center of the country, visiting Indian reservations and blighted farming and mining towns, before venturing into the heart of Colorado's "new age" culture and finally ending up in the very non-spiritual Las Vegas where the answer to "What does the future hold?" may be found residing on the top floor of a very fancy gambling casino.

Dinner with Buddha is rich with humor and wise with insight as it follows the path of self-discovery undertaken by two intriguing men whose lives seem to be forever intertwined.