The Hungry Ghost in Your Pocket: A Zen Guide to Phone Addiction

In this talk, I explore the "Hungry Ghost" state - a Buddhist archetype of a being that's desperately hungry but just can't be satiated. The Hungry Ghost is seen as having a massive belly but a neck as thin as a needle. It has an infinite capacity for "more," but cannot be nourished. In the modern world, I'd say we all exist partly in the hugry ghost state in relation to our phones and digital world, and with status and consumerism. In this talk I discuss what it really means to feed the ghost using the story of Moggalana, a student of the Buddha, who was taught to use compassion and generosity as the antidote to addiction. The session finishes with a 15min practical "Zen and Tech" meditation. The next time you reach for your phone, I invite you to pause for a breath and ask: "Who is hungry?" You can donate in exchange for this teaching here https://buymeacoffee.com/westmoquette #dharmatalk #hungryghost #zen