Hungry ghost is a Western translation of Chinese 餓鬼 (èguǐ), a concept in Chinese Buddhism and Chinese traditional religion representing beings who are driven by intense emotional needs in an animalistic way.
The Chinese concept is related to the preta in Buddhism more generally.
These beings are "ghosts" only in the sense of not being fully alive; not fully capable of living and appreciating what the moment has to offer.
The English term has often been used metaphorically to describe the insatiable craving of an addict.
Read more about Hungry Ghost: Similar Traditions in Other Cultures
Famous quotes containing the words hungry and/or ghost:
“In the tight belly of the dead
Burrow with hungry head
And inlay maggots like a jewel.”
—Karl Shapiro (b. 1913)
“An old, mad man still climbing in his ghost,
My fathers’ ghost is climbing in the rain.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)