Hungry Ghosts.
- clearstreamzendo
- May 11
- 3 min read
This week’s topic for reflection is feeding hungry ghosts. A hungry ghost is any being that wants something it can’t have. I see this as an insatiable need. If they have something, they need more of it and it’s never enough. They might have something they don’t want and can’t get rid of it. The situation might be okay but it doesn’t feel or look that way to them. This can lead to intense dissatisfaction and internal trauma. This can become a difficult struggle for those who care about them because they want to help and can’t see how to.
The place to start this reflection is see if you have a hungry ghost inside of you. Is there anything lacking in you that can’t be satisfied? It could be from your past or present or even future. This can feel burdensome and is often accompanied by clinging, holding tight or pushing away and rejecting. It can be a small thing or something important or large. Perhaps it’s something you’d like to undo or change if you could. Something incomplete or not satisfied. It’s often intangible like being acknowledged or appreciated or even something looked down upon. To be human is to want or even need what we can’t have.
Hungry ghosts cling to what they can’t have and push away what would be helpful. They cannot see the truth of how things are or how and who they truly are. They are sadly attached to their suffering. What often accompanies this is their feeling separate, alone, afraid and angry. These hungry ghosts can be embodied or not embodied, human or other beings.
We can help them by our sincere desire for their well being. We share that they are not alone by being with them. We share that they can trust us by accepting them as they are. We share that they don’t need to be afraid or angry by giving them our patient love. We share wisdom and truth by being curious and open to learning and not looking away. Most of all we share that Bodhisattvas are all around everywhere, able to help. It seems Pope Francis saw hungry ghosts all around him and he reached out to them letting them know he cared about them. I imagine he prayed for all hungry ghosts embodied or not and openly received their suffering.
What we sincerely offer them in our Zen ceremony Obon is first of all welcome, just as they are. There is no judgement or need for them to be a certain way. We atone for all that we are and for all of our harmful karma we have done. Next we share being the three treasures, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Buddha is our essential nature, which is selfless and not separate from all that is. Dharma is all phenomena in all of its differences, continuously changing which is the teaching of Buddha. Sangha is the functioning of Buddha and Dharma seamlessly together, everywhere, always. We share the Bodhi Mind which is the food we offer hungry ghosts in our ceremony Obongaki the Kon Ro Mon, Gate of Sweet Nectar. The Bodhi Mind is the mind that seeks and offers enlightenment not just for oneself but for all beings.
Please join us for morning Zoom zazen from 7:00 to 7:30 Tuesday and Thursday, in person zazen at the McNail Riley House Saturday morning from 9:00 to 11:00 and Sunday morning Zoom zazen and discussion of the topic for reflection blog from 8:00 to 9:00 Pacific Time. Here’s the Zoom link:
Meeting ID: 811 6100 3357
Passcode: 278259
Comments