No. 020
Agwi (hungry ghost)
餓鬼아귀 (agwi)
Ghost
Draft, not yet reviewed
A being born into the realm of hungry ghosts, one of the six realms of Buddhism. Its belly is as big as a mountain and its throat as narrow as a needle, so it suffers endless hunger and thirst. Greed, stinginess and ignorance were thought to send one there.
Names
- Korean
- 아귀
- Hanja
- 餓鬼
- Revised Romanization
- agwi
- English
- Agwi (hungry ghost)
Appearance
A belly as large as a mountain and a throat as narrow as a needle.
Habitat
The hungry-ghost realm among the six realms.
Weaknesses
- Is tormented by hunger and thirst at all times.
Attestations
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Encyclopedia of Korean Culture Encyclopedia
What it says: The agwi article: the history of the concept, its understanding as one of the three evil paths, the mountain belly and needle throat, and the related temple offering customs.