The Path of Diamonds, the final symbol in Yogi Raman’s fable, represents living in the moment, or as Julian phrases it: “happiness is a journey, not a destination […] Never put off living!” (184). Julian becomes emotional when he urges John not to put off spending time with family, and he shares the story of his daughter’s death from being struck by a drunk driver and the subsequent failure of his marriage. His career flourished while his family life eroded.

Money has surprisingly little to do with embracing the present moment (Julian points out that the sages didn’t exactly have a balanced portfolio in stocks). Everybody can practice gratitude every day. Julian stresses that we only have only one life to live with no do-overs, so we must enjoy the process of living. This is the key to achieving Nirvana, a state in which “all things were possible. There [is] no suffering and the dance of life [is] played out with divine protection” (194). Julian explains that John can expect to see little hints that he is reaching enlightenment; for example, he might begin to feel that his surroundings are imbued with “holiness” (194).