Carpe Diem's Tan Renga Challenge Month #XXI, Cathy Tenzo's "the Buddha Himself"

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Another day in haiku paradise and especially in Tan Renga Paradise this month. Another wonderful haiku to start a Tan Renga Challenge with. Today it's a haiku in response on October's prompt "Buddha" and it's written by Cathy Tenzo of Haiku Plate Special. I think it's an awesome haiku in which the Buddha is be seen as also just a human who had to go his way and fins his own path to Enlightenment. Here it is:

the Buddha himself
did not start enlightened
he walked the path

(c) Cathy Tenzo

I am not a Buddhist, but as a haiku-poet I am a Buddhist, ... do you understand that? ....
Haiku is strongly connected with Buddhism and Zen-Buddhism and therefore I have to think sometimes as a Buddhist. In one of our upcoming episodes of "back to it's roots" I will tell you all more about the Buddhistic influences in haiku ... and of course in next January and February for sure as we are going on a Buddhistic Pilgrimage.
OK ... back to this episode of our Tan Renga Challenge Month. Here is my attempt to complete this Tan Renga started by Cathy:

the Buddha himself
did not start enlightened
he walked the path                                          (Cathy Tenzo)

following the signs along the path
the lotus comes to full bloom                          (Chèvrefeuille)

What a joy to make this Tan Renga complete and I wonder .... I wonder ... how you all will make it a complete Tan Renga .... so now it's up to you ... have fun, be inspired and share your completed Tan Renga with our Haiku Kai.
This episode will stay on until November 23th 11.59 AM (CET) and is now open for your submissions.