Calling out to hungry hearts

Everywhere through endless time

You who wander you who thirst

I offer you this Bodhi mind.

Calling out to hungry spirits

Everywhere through endless time

Calling out to hungry hearts

All the lost and the left behind.

Gather round and share this meal

Your joy and your sorrow

I’ll make it mine.

Every night of the new moon, we gather for the Gate of Sweet Nectar ceremony. The ceremony opens with the above song.

In this ceremony, we call out to all hungry ghosts, usually depicted as insatiable demon-like creatures with narrow withered limbs, grossly bulging stomachs, long thin necks and tiny mouths (see photo).

In our tradition, hungry ghosts represent all the forgotten in society, those forsaken and abandoned, the lost and left behind. They also represent the aspects of our planet that we are not taking care of, the mountain and rivers, the trees and birds and ants and snails.

And closer to home, they represent the neglected parts of us, those parts of ourselves we hide, that we are unable to bring forth — perhaps out of shame or hatred or fear. And also our insatiable cravings borne of greed, hatred and delusion.

We call on all the hungry spirits, all the hungry hearts, so that their thirst could be quenched and their hunger satiated. The aspiration is to end suffering, and in ourselves, to recognize our true radiant nature, our innate basic goodness, and use that to be of service to everyone and everything.