The Final Search
- Dan and Socrates go for a run up in the mountains in the middle of the night. The old man suddenly collapses, his heart going silent. Dan cries out Nooooooooooo! with eleven o's. It's kind of like this scene from Revenge of the Sith.
- Dan shakes Socrates to no effect. But then the youth feels the Presence (capital P!) and begs for his own life to be taken instead of Socrates'. The old man's heart begins to beat again.
- The student carries his teacher to help. The next day at the hospital, Socrates confirms Dan's experience: the Presence started Socrates' heartbeat—and only after Dan had stopped trying. The old man calls this whole near-death incident a good lesson.
- Socrates tells the youth he hasn't opened himself fully to life and love yet. Dan reacts with sorrow, and then with anger, but the teacher says those two emotions aren't good enough responses. Finally Dan laughs, which wins Socrates' approval.
- The teacher says he persisted in exercising with Dan despite his heart defect because teaching by example is the way to go. He illustrates this point with a story about Gandhi, then suggests Dan is headed in the direction of becoming a teacher.
- Dan asks Socrates if he, Dan, will someday learn special powers such as the old man's apparent ability to tell the future. The teacher answers that special powers do in fact exist, but that they're not really important. The important powers are those of love, kindness, service, and happiness.
- Socrates tells Dan he's still trapped by the need to search, and so he should go off and search until he tires of it—for nine or ten years. Dan panics. Socrates says they'll meet again. The youth says he'll never forget him, and leaves the hospital for an uncertain future.
- Dan moves to Los Angeles and marries Linda. On his wedding night, he feels depressed and as if he's forgotten something important. He gets a job in sales, and his training and discipline slowly fade away. Linda and he have a daughter, Holly. He gets a job teaching gymnastics at Stanford. Dan still feels as if he's lost something.
- Linda and Dan grow apart and eventually separate. Dan resumes his search for happiness, training in aikido and visiting places around the world to study yoga, shamanism, and other disciplines with extraordinary teachers. But he can't find enlightenment or peace.
- His search starts feeling more and more urgent. He remembers Socrates telling him life is a terminal illness and to be happy now, without reason. Still, Dan can find no answer.
- One day, Dan has a feeling that Death is a creature after him. You know, the Grim Reaper dude—check out the Antagonist part of our Character Roles section for more.
- Dan returns home to Linda and Holly, but it's clear their marriage is ending. He becomes attracted to a student named Joyce, but is still technically married, so he doesn't pursue her.
- Linda and Dan divorce. Dan teaches gymnastics and aikido at Berkley, but resists the urge to visit the gas station, feeling he has nothing to show for himself. The same goes for the idea of contacting Joyce.
- Dan, living alone, begins his training anew, meditating and writing notes about his time with Socrates. Finally he decides to sell all his belongings and get lost in the mountains, determined to find an answer.