Hungry Ghosts and Flaming Mouths

This article formulates a contemporary understanding of Buddhist ideas about hungry ghosts—one of the states in which sentient beings can exist. First, the traditional cosmological context for these ideas is introduced, a few of the narratives regarding hungry ghosts are recounted, and some of the cultural practices related to hungry ghosts are explained. Then, the article presents some contemporary ideas about cosmology and morality, karma and rebirth, and how Buddhist thought sees them as interconnected. A closing, more personal, reflection suggests the value of understanding hungry ghosts as reflections of our own ways of being in the world.