play the blame game

Ananda, is a close disciple of Lord Buddha.

There was once an incident, when a scholar stormed his way into the temple and ask Ananda about Dhamma, and Ananda gave him a basic and simple principle in Buddhism. The scholar was not satisfied and scolded Ananda for being shallow and naive.

That same evening, a commoner stepped into the holy place and the same question popped up for Ananda, and Ananda being mindful of what happened the morning, gave this commoner a heavy lengthy discourse on Buddhism. Again, Ananda was given another round of scolding from this man for such a complicated lecture that tired the ears and the heart.

In the evening, another commoner came in, and Ananda decided to walk the middle path and explain Dhamma, neither too short or too long. Again, he was shot down verbally for his explanation was neither too short to understand, nor too long to really grasp whole of the whole buddhism teaching.

In the night time, Ananda was worried and decided to seek consultation with Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha express a gentle smile: The world is full of praise and blame.
You say too much, you'll be blame. You say too little, you'll be blame. You don't say anything, you'll be blame. You say something, you'll be blame. One must accept blame as one accepted praise.

From the simple teaching of Lord Buddha, I understood that one must receive blame as openly as one accepting praises.

The world is full of blame and praises.
Not all blame are mistakes.
Not all blame are wrongful doing.
Not all blame are evil, unfair or injustice.
Blame happens because of ignorance.

In my line of work, the past few weeks, I was burdened with blame.

There was this Specialist clinic day, when I went to work early in the morning, starting seeing patient on time at 8am. I did not waste any of my time seeing patient. Rarely do I took short rest till the clinic finished seeing all patients. I even took my cup of water into my room to drink in between seeing patients. I even start pressing the number for the next patient as I finishing up seeing current patient. By my final word on the folder of current patient, the next patient should be knocking on my door into seeing me.

After few hours, the queue was becoming more and more, and the worried staff nurse of the clinic began to tell my HOD that clinic was running slow as not enough medical officer. As my senior colleague noted this, already on his way to the Maternity Operation Theatre to get my junior colleague on operation, to come back to clinic as he continued the op, hoping his shorter op time will enable him to come to clinic after finishing elective C-section in MOT.

At this time, my HOD called upon me to his room and going through the list asked me where are the whereabouts of all the MOs. Going through the list, I just tell what I knew of where are all the MOs. To my knowledge, I told my HOD truthfully about where everyone are, and also my senior colleague going to MOT to swap out junior colleague. My HOD thought of elective cases in MOT is tying the clinic down and therefore set a rule to stop all elective cases in MOT during clinic day.

The clinic went smoothly and with a heavy heart, I had to put up my HOD's order. Realizing such order, my specialist was furious with me as knowing the closure of elective cases in MOT will overflood to the elective op day in General OT.

I was given the blame of 'complaining to boss'.

And last few days as our specialist clinic finished at time at 12noon (average time 1pm), I faced another sarcasm from the specialist about MOT being closed.

Somehow, everything started to repeat itself like a bad record player spiced with all the noise that one can only get from the Chowrasta market.

As my senior colleague told me, (words) blame was going around the camp that the MOT got closed on clinic day because of me.

Sarcasm is as always a powerful tool. It can draw blood without drawing the sword, provided it is funny.

If it isn't, it's just a fart - annoying and obnoxious.

Anyway, my continous ardent valor for the clinic is not for the specialist nor my colleagues, but for patients of whom required care and service.

Blame will get around.
Not because blame are mistakes.
Not because blame are wrongful doing.
Not because blame are evil, unfair or injustice.
Blame happens because of ignorance, or unwilling to accept the truth.