This reflection is shared from a Buddhist belief. You don’t have to believe it. Just read it lightly, like listening to a story. The idea is simply to get familiar, to know a little, not to carry it heavily.
Life Beyond This World
In Buddhist teachings, life after death is not like the life we know. There is no money, no work, no business. Beings live only on the power of the deeds they have done—good and bad.
Those who have been generous will enjoy comfort.
Those who kept the precepts will reach good realms.
Those who practiced meditation will gain wisdom and safety, guiding them on the right path.
If one is born again as a human, there is a chance to continue doing good. But if not reborn as a human, it is very difficult to create new merit, and one remains in that state for a long time, until the power of past deeds runs out.
Good Deeds and Bad Deeds
Good deeds can bring a heavenly existence, where beings enjoy happiness built from their own merit—lasting a very long time. It is like planting a tree: once planted, it bears fruit again and again.
Bad deeds also bring results. Even a small amount can last long, just like a tree continues to produce fruit. If a person’s life is mostly filled with unwholesome actions, then after death, there are many difficult realms waiting, according to the state of their mind.
The Realm of Hungry Ghosts
One of these realms is the world of hungry ghosts, known in Buddhism as pretas. These are people who, while alive, never gave, never shared, never created merit. After death, they are reborn as hungry ghosts, forced by their past actions to live in constant hunger and thirst.
Hungry ghosts still remember their human life. Many go back to their former homes, searching for food. But they cannot eat human food, because they exist in a different dimension. Human food is coarse, and only physical bodies can touch and consume it.
In some families in Thailand, people prepare food in front of a photo of their departed relatives, light incense, and invite them to eat. But hungry ghosts cannot eat that food, so they continue to hunger.
How to Help the Departed
The way to help is by sharing merit. In Buddhism, merit is the true nourishment for departed relatives.
When you give—whether offering food to monks, helping the poor, or sharing kindness—you can make a wish:
“May my departed relatives receive this merit. May they be happy.”
Even if you already offered or did something good before, you can still dedicate it afterwards. Bring the image of your good action to mind, feel joy in it, and extend that joy to your relatives. Wish sincerely that they may receive the fruits of your goodness.
A Gentle Reflection
This does not mean every departed person becomes a hungry ghost. We do not know where they go. If they have gone to a good realm, the merit makes their life even brighter. If they are in a difficult realm, the merit can ease their pain.
Take this simply as a gentle Buddhist perspective—a story to listen to and reflect on. You don’t need to believe it. Just let it be something you know lightly, resting at the edge of your mind, like a quiet reminder of the power of kindness and giving.
