I was just walking out of the lobby when I noticed this image of a 'ghost' imprinted in the pavement. And not just an ordinary ghost, but a 'Preta', or 'Hungry Ghost', judging by that hole in its belly. In the Buddhist universe the preta (아귀 / 餓鬼) are the unfortunate denizens of a realm ranked well below the level of the human world -- that is, those who in their previous lifetimes were afflicted with powerful appetites or acquisitive desires that were unrequited at death, and as a result are reborn as beastly beings whose defining characteristic is overwhelming hunger (stereotypically but not necessarily for food) that is permanently unsatiated. In art they are traditionally portrayed as fairly human-like, as monsters go, except they've got huge swollen bellies that cannot ever be filled through their tiny throats.
But I don't know, is not the an empty hole in the belly a better representation of a 'hungry ghost'?
Here is where it gets personal: when I moved from Los Angeles to Seoul, I had to sell off all my belongings, including many rare books and some 900 movies on DVD. I miss them dearly. Very dearly. So much so that if I cannot overcome this regret over my past possessions, I fear I may face a certain risk in my future incarnation.
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