Blamed for healing others

Question:

Ven. Master,

Will you please clarify a few things for me?

My parents have medicine to cure stomach ailments and ulcers. They healed a lot of people but never charged a cent for it.

Once, they gave the medicine to a person in the neighborhood. Once healed, this individual started criticizing my parents. When my parents brought the medicine to the temple’s free clinic, they would encounter criticism as well! I really fail to understand; why that would happen?

Please kindly explain this to me.

Respectfully,
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NTB

Answer:

This seems to bother you more than your parents, or else they would have stopped giving away the medicine. Perhaps it is because the majority of the recipients are grateful?

If you take the time to delve deeper into Buddhism, you would understand:
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1. To help others means that one must be prepared to pay the consequences, including being criticized or encountering ingratitude. For example, I advise my left-home students to quit if they expect rewards or recognition: no good deed goes unpunished!
2. You should open up your heart and welcome criticism. These people are doing you a favor. Use it to examine yourself and correct your mistakes. If you are really blameless then you will not be fazed by criticism.