Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts

I really agree with JMoneyNJ and artworkbyeddy.

Just to add to that, I think the water and holes thing is tying back to the olive trees in "I'll Believe in Anything." The idea that possibilities are endless with patience and a dream that's above yourself. You have to dig holes and need water to make things grow. The only way to make your dreams come true is if you take the initiative, plant the seed.

What I really take from this song is that you have to continually strive for something greater. I think self-improvement and self-reliance are really problems in this generation. Sometimes the culture of dependence and materialism keep us from seeing what's really important--what we perceive as true progress.

I interpret the song as referring to the second generation of immigrant families. Parents go to other lands striving to give their children bright futures. That kind of attitude is kind of lost in the next generation when things are taken for granted. Slackers and procrastination are really the hallmarks of the modern era. And it's probably not frowned upon as much as it should be. Look at the problem of global warming. That's the biggest challenge of our generation. We won't be able to solve it if we keep on putting things off for the next tomorrow, because that tomorrow will be for our kids. So I guess these "hungry ghosts" is kind of a cyclical thing. With each progressive generation, the quality of life improves, but with it more existential questions of what we should be and what we should do--chase carbon copy dreams of materialism or be steady like our parents in thinking of future generations?

With each progressive generation, dependence on technology grows along with a greater sense of alienation and apathy. I guess the easier things get, the harder it is for young people to exert themselves--figure out their true potential and figure out what they love. I think that first generation immigrants really sacrificed a lot and had a really noble goal--provide a better life for their offspring. I guess that really disappeared with all of these improvements of lifestyle--now it's more about what kind of TV can I get with X amount of money and what job I can get to make the most money to use some gadget in my free time. I'm being really general here, but it's just the feeling I get.

I think that this ties really well with the Buddhism idea--the idea of self-improvement, figuring about what the hell you love to do, and figuring out how you can find some peace of mind free of "how can I get ahead of other people?" and "how much money can I make?" It's about figuring out what makes you happy and taking steps in finding that calling that was always there but you never saw.