Helping Hungry Ghosts | Thich Nhat Hanh (short teaching video)

My father was a serial paedophile , responsible for the destruction of many lives. My only child was one of his victims and is in mental hospital now and has been for 15 of the last 20 years because of what my father did. Me and my little brother ( who will not acknowledge us as family) were victims also. My life has been taken by trying to resolve this. I am 70 this year and the tears still flow every night for the damage done.

I was once a hungry ghost I was a ward of the state I was a heroin addict My first healings was in Narcotics Anonymous, a simple spiritual program , I also began mindfulness and I have not been a hungry ghost for many years . I feel blessed I can use my suffering to help hungry ghosts as they trust a former hungry ghost . I’m so greatful and humbled to hear Thay’s teachings,I can continue to help and this makes me so happy

I cried when I listen to this. I am grateful I became an alcoholic so that I could find Alcoholics Anonymous and the sister programs. I found everything I needed in the meetings and in the fellowship.

I suffered deep and damaging abuse from both of my parents - both dead now. As I have seen them as five year old children, across many years of healing, I myself have deeply healed. 🙏❤️

I’m a hungry ghost for I was abused by my parents and more family members. I stopped the cycle.

I used to talk to myself in a very hard and harsh way, and when I started to learn about mindfulness, the intensity of my expectations about myself cranked up the harshness of my inner dialogue. I found some teachings about loving yourself when you go looking within, and to embrace whatever emotion, judgement or thought arose. I practiced speaking to my beating heart and breath as if it was to my innerchild: "I love you, I love you". I visualize my innerchild as a 5 year old in pain when doing so. The clue for me was to understand I was not pretending, but getting used to tell myself I loved myself. Now I cannot imagine speaking to myself and others the way I used. May all beings find worthiness and relief within.

I'm very moved by Thay, every time. Here's my gratitude statement from this morning;I'm so grateful that my heart feels full. I'm grateful that I'm an alcoholic. 45 years of drink and drugs. 43 years of the occasional flirt with recovery. That's what happened. It's only what happened. That part of my journey is over. In the here and now, the only place that life ever happens, I'm grateful to be learning, growing, emotionally and spiritually. The time is now. I'm grateful and loving it! 💖🌈🙏🏼🦄🥳❣️🌻😁😉🙏

I see this in abused and abandoned animals too.

For brothers and sisters who may have felt a disconnect with the biological family, you are a child of God. I love Thich Nhat Hanh. But do not overly concern yourself with the label "hungry ghost". Make peace within yourself and forgive as you would want to be forgiven. Know that you are Loved.

Hungry ghost is a sacred phrase. The soul as well is a hungry ghost. Feed it well in best ways n hope the feast will make us better humans. Peace ✌️

I have lived with a hungry ghost, my step father; he was like a black hole leaving unpleasant traces of his unrecognized tyrant wounds. Later on psychotherapy started working upon the (in)visible threads that did not leave him in peace. Yes, indeed, the hungry ghosts need great amount of love, caring, forgiveness along with firm roots to rely on. Sanghas, retreats are a wonderful solution for healing, for restoring and transforming the vacuum into authentic loving kindness. Of course these people should also follow certain steps in order to transmute their pain body. Dear Thay, by having shared your wisdom as insightful gems, you have surely made this planet more sane. Thank you!😊🙏

So much gratitude to the universe for sending us Thich Nhat Han. A man of unparalleled greatness, a prophet of our time . ❤️💕 sending love and gratitude to my virtual sangha for upholding one another, and continuing the traditions and teachings of Thay 💕❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻

We are all connected. To love others is to love ourselves.

Such a beautiful human

My father died from suicide last year. It’s been hard to forgive him, as I had my first child but a month before he passed. This talk has brought me to tears. I hope this is the beginning of my healing.

"A deep explanation, of deep understanding, of deep compassion, of deep love, of deep need, of deep healing, of deep restoration."  ~ Of Immense Gratitude

♥️ for the hungry ghosts

Thank you Thich Nhat Hanh. 🙏 Thank you plum village. 🙏 Beautiful. Peaceful. 🙏

I have been practicing for nearly 8 years and have become aware of the pain in my ancestral lineage. Thank you so much for broadcasting this lesson, I will do the smiling practice in order to embody my understanding that my parents also suffered. And back and back. Thank you so much - Ngawang Dechen Palmo UK

I feel in our family WW1 AND WW2 are still causing pain to this day, our Fathers and Grand fathers paid a very heavy price which is still felt today.