Hungry Ghosts (Pretas)

Hungry Ghosts, known as Pretas, are mythic figures in the Three Worlds Cosmology, residing at the juncture between the realms of humans and animals. These entities are marked by insatiable hunger and perpetual discontent.

Pretas are often depicted with gaunt forms and persistently distended stomachs, symbolizing their ceaseless desires. Their unquenchable yearning arises from a fusion of their karma and prior actions, propelling them into this state of being. Consequently, they are perpetually depicted as yearning for nourishment and relief.

In Buddhist and Taoist traditions narratives, Pretas emerge as tormented souls wandering within a realm of suffering. Their cravings go unfulfilled, and the sustenance they seek remains elusive. The domain of Hungry Ghosts is characterized by desolate landscapes, where these entities endure extreme thirst and hunger.

Pretas holds a significant and evocative position within the Three Worlds Cosmology. Their depiction as entities trapped in an unending cycle of insatiable hunger and suffering offers a compelling contemplation on the essence of desire, attachment, and the possible pitfalls inherent in the unbounded quest for earthly delights.