Preta -Ghost Always Hungry

 Preta

     Preta was also known as Hungry Ghost. It was Believed Not only in Hinduism, Even in  Buddhism, Taoism, and Chinese and Vietnamese folk religion.  particularly They have extreme level of hunger and thirst.

       The preta started with just thinking that it was the soul and ghost of a person once they died, but later the concept developed into a transient state between death and obtaining karmic reincarnation in accordance with the person’s fate.

Interesting facts of Preta

1. Pretas are invisible to the human eye, but some believe they can be discerned by humans in certain mental states.
2. They are described as human-like, but with sunken, mummified skin, narrow limbs, enormously distended bellies and long, thin necks.
3.  This appearance is a metaphor for their mental situation: they have enormous appetites, signified by their gigantic bellies, but a very limited ability to satisfy those appetites, symbolized by their slender necks.
4. Pretas are often depicted in Japanese art (particularly that from the Heian period) as emaciated human beings with bulging stomachs and inhumanly small mouths and throats.
5. They are frequently shown licking up spilled water in temples or accompanied by demons representing their personal agony.
6. Otherwise they may be shown as balls of smoke or fire.
7. Pretas dwell in the waste and desert places of the earth, and vary in situation according to their past karma.
8. Some of them can eat a little, but find it very difficult to find food or drink.
9. Others can find food and drink, but find it very difficult to swallow. Others find that the food they eat seems to burst into flames as they swallow it.
10. Others see something edible or drinkable and desire it but it withers or dries up before their eyes.

As a result, they are always hungry.

Types of sufferings:
 there are three subtypes, the first being pretas who suffer from external obscurations.

• These pretas suffer constant hunger, thirst or temperature insensitivity.
• The second type of pretas are those who suffer from internal obscurations, who have small mouths and large stomachs.
• Often, their mouths are so small that they cannot eat enough food to fill the large space in their stomachs and thus remain constantly hungry.

The other broad category of pretas that travel through time and space are always scared and have a tendency to inflict pain on others.