The chemotherapy drug slowly dripped into my friend’s arm as we sat in the treatment room. She had been diagnosed some months earlier with an aggressive form of breast cancer, and, after surgery, was receiving a regime of outpatient chemotherapy treatments.
The room in which we sat was a large, airy space with about two dozen comfortable reclining chairs where people were receiving their intravenous treatment. The patients were from a broad cross section of society: young and old, rich and poor, men and women, alone or with family and friends. But all were there because they had hope that they could avoid the suffering of advancing cancer and find happiness once more in a disease-free life.
Paramhansa Yogananda said that everyone in this world shares one common motivation in life: to avoid suffering and find happiness. Everything we do is a higher or lower expression of this same shared goal. For some, happiness means chasing the will-o’-the-wisp of material desires or achieving recognition in the eyes of the world. For others, it’s to serve those in need and lessen their suffering. And for a few, it means finding the source of true happiness: the bliss of God.
Even as we ascend the ladder of wakefulness in God, we still share with all humanity—with all life, in fact—that same twofold motivation: to avoid pain and to find happiness. Knowing this, it’s much easier to see behind the multifarious expressions of human behavior and feel compassion and kinship with everyone.
As my friend and I sat together that day, she gradually drifted off to sleep, and I picked up some knitting that I’d brought along with me. As I began the rhythmic process of moving the yarn over and under the needles, one of the other patients in the room started walking towards me, pushing her IV bag and drip tube on its mobile pole.
She was an older woman, alone, and after she sat down in an empty chair next to me, she began speaking in a thick German accent. “I haven’t seen anyone knitting in a long time,” she began. “You see, when I was a little girl during World War II, my family lived on a small farm in northern Germany. We were starving, because all the food was sent to the troops, and we were always cold because our clothes were threadbare and filled with holes.
“When the American paratroopers began landing behind our military lines, they would abandon their silk parachutes in the woods. My family would search for the ‘chutes,’ tear the silk into strips, and then knit them into warm clothing. We were so grateful to the soldiers for such gifts.”
We talked on during that long afternoon. Our experiences in life had been very different, and yet as children of our one Father/Mother, God, we had so much in common and so much to share.
Towards Oneness with all,
Nayaswami Devi
14 Comments
Thank you so much for sharing this., I felt something in my heart ( sadness and joy) after reading your post.
Many Blessings,
granita
What a wonderful and touching post.It really moved me.Thank you for sharing it,Devi ji.
Aum
Thanks, Devi, beautiful.
Thankyou Devi, for sharing this story. Indeed I too find knitting helps me find many answers as the needles go through each loop. Different ways to find happiness..you r so right….
Joy
Kamini
Thank you, Devi. Your warm heart and beautiful soul lights the way to God for so many. We send you our love and blessings, Byasa and janakidevi
Thank you for sharing such a sweet and touching story.
Blessings,
gopal
Beautiful Ji
Thanks for sharing
Hi Jyotish and Devi! Thanks for this post especially. Master and I are starting chemotherapy next week. I look forward to our future. Blessings. Shorty.
Dear Bill.
Good luck with everything. We’ll be praying for you.
Dear Bill, Many Ananda Village members have taken chemotherapy with Master at their side. We pray, and visualize the medicine at God’s Light being offered to us in a tangible form, which it is, as is everything in existence. With gratitude, we thank God for the many ways He gives to bring about healing, and our awareness of our wholeness, and oneness with Him. Master’s blessings to you, and it you’d like support from anyone who has walked this road before, please write and I’ll connect you with those great souls.
Dear Nayaswami Devi Ji,
Thank you for the article :)
Joy,
Prem
Beautiful Deviji and truly the Core of Spirit! With Love, Brindey
Bless You Devi,
We are all ONE; regardless of our backgrounds, ages, or cultures.
“Knitted” together in a wonderful and beautiful, challenging and sometimes scary, web of unified reality; light and darkness.
Thank you for sharing such a sweet story.
Kindness and compassion for others IS “Christ Consciousness”.
~~~Peace, Josette
Thank you Devi for this wonderful post. Jerry.