Six years had passed with a vast amount of Buddhist practice and knowledge, but it did not lead her to Enlightenment. In February 2001, at the age of 30, the Zen Master decided to let go and leave everything behind, with no regard for her life, traveling around the world, hoping to meet the Awakened teacher. The Zen Master made a great vow, "On this trip, if I cannot find the Awake Destination, I will not return to America." When learning that the Zen Master was beginning the journey in search for Awake, the Abbot of the Vietnam Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles, California, the Most Venerable Thích Mãn Giác, was persistent to convince her to reconsider because of all the unforeseen dangers along the way. In the end, seeing that the Zen Master already had a decision, the Most Venerable Thích Nguyên Hạnh wished her to soon achieve her goal.

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Long ago, the Bodhisattva Gautama spent six years in ascetic practice, experienced many meditation practices, and attained the four stages of meditation and four stages of concentration with the gurus, but he also renounced it and finally took a vow to look within to face himself and became enlightened under the Bodhi tree. In this modern day, Zen Master Thich Dieu Thien, a woman, but carried the will of a great, noble minded man, went alone with three robes and one alms-bowl, one small suitcase, some clothes and a little money to go on a quest to find Awake. She did not plan in advance where to stay, sometimes slept in the forest, on the mountain, at the train station, eating only crackers and a few bananas everyday... She also stopped at many prestigious meditation centers in countries such as France, Sri Lanka, Thailand...experienced many meditation practices, breaking through and fully realizing many layers of consciousness inside, but the Zen Master still had to depart, because she had not yet found the answer to the deep questions of her life.