Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives

On a night run, Socrates collapses and Dan panics, shaking the old man and pleading with him to live. Dan prays for his life, wishing that he would die instead of his teacher. Finally, Socrates wakes, and Dan carries him to a hospital.

Socrates marks the event as a lesson, telling Dan that he has not yet fully opened his heart to the present moment. He says a warrior’s greatest weapon is love. Dan realizes Socrates’s sacrifice, as he kept running with him despite his heart problem. He wonders why the old man has pushed himself, and Socrates declares: “Better to live until you die” (179). He notes that a teacher must exemplify his lessons and hints that Dan might be destined to be a teacher himself. He stresses that the greatest powers of a warrior are “love, […] kindness, […] service, and […] happiness” (180). Socrates explains that Dan is still trapped in a constant search, and he needs to go away alone and explore life. When his search finishes, they will meet again.

Dan returns to Los Angeles and proposes to Linda. On their wedding day, Dan feels partly happy and partly depressed, feeling that he has forgotten something.