Preta

Region: South & Southeastern Asia
Location:India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Southeast Asia (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism)

Preta — known as “hungry ghosts” — are beings trapped in a state of insatiable craving. In Hindu and Buddhist cosmology, Pretas are the spirits of individuals who lived lives dominated by greed, addiction, selfishness, or imbalance. After death, they are reborn in the Preta realm: gaunt, hollow figures with distended bellies, tiny mouths, and necks so thin they cannot swallow enough to satisfy their hunger. Their suffering is metaphysical — no matter how much they eat or drink, their desire remains unfulfilled.
  Folklore describes Pretas wandering lonely places, old ruins, cremation grounds, or abandoned fields. They attempt to consume offerings, but food turns to fire, filth, or dust in their hands. In some traditions, Pretas approach living family members seeking offerings so that they may find temporary relief. Buddhist texts frame this as a moral lesson: generosity toward Pretas, performed through ritual, helps both the living and the dead cultivate compassion. In Hindu tradition, Pretas appear frequently during *Pitru Paksha*, when families honor ancestors with offerings designed to ease their suffering.
  Pretas symbolize the consequences of unrestrained desire and the importance of balance. They are not malicious, but tragic — beings consumed by their own unfinished cravings. In everyday language across South Asia, calling someone “like a Preta” implies bottomless hunger or obsession. Their presence in folklore, ritual, and cosmology reminds communities that emotional and spiritual imbalance have lasting effects beyond death.

World
Koina
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kaixabu
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

The spark is human. The polish is digital.

 

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