The Quantum Turkey

Photo by Feezo

According to Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, all things inter-are.  By this he means that not only are all things interconnected, but also that they are part and parcel of one another.  

Another way of saying this is "I am he as you are he as you are me as we are all together."  In other words, "I am the walrus" (or the turkey, as the case may be).

Still another explanation is that the subatomic particles of the turkey are literally mixing and matching with those of you and me.  On a quantum-physics level, it seems impossible to delineate where one entity ends and another begins. 

This is a way of being that embraces paradox.  Thich Nhat Hanh writes: "I am the frog swimming happily in the clear water of a pond.  And I am the grass-snake that silently feeds itself on the frog.  I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones, my legs as thin as bamboo sticks.  And I am the arms merchant, selling deadly weapons to Uganda."

We are the turkeys roaming freely through the fields, and we are the hunters pursuing with their guns.  We are the corn silk rustling in the breeze, and we are the johnnycake sizzling in the pan.  This is why the Haudenosaunee (Mohawks) give thanks directly to the sources of their sustenance.  Here is an excerpt from their Thanksgiving Address:  

With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden.  Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive.  Many other living things draw strength from them, too.  We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

Resources

https://plumvillage.org/articles/please-call-me-by-my-true-names-song-poem/

https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/i-am-the-walrus/

https://americanindian.si.edu/environment/pdf/01_02_Thanksgiving_Address.pdf