In this part of the film, Ace is in a state of bliss at a Buddhist temple surrounded by peaceful animals. He considers himself "one with nature" and feels as though he is far along on his path to enlightenment. The movie makes this task seem quite easy, as though true enlightenment could be reached within a matter of days. This stereotype is fitting with Brad Warner's explanation of enlightenment fallacies. He says that "general trends in Western Buddhism are pretty dire. One of the worst is the idea that there are ways to speed a person to enlightenment." The process can take years if reached at all and there are no short-cuts.
Once Ace has attained this enlightened state, he then proceeds to go elsewhere and continue his previous habits. He fails to follow all the precepts and does not appear to be anything like a zen master. Again, this is something that Brad talks about in the book. He states that "Enlightenment is not a cool experience that you have, which you then file away with all your other cool experiences." It changes your life and is not just something you brag about at parties. If it is indeed reached then the enlightened will have no need for bragging or anything of the like.
