Tricky Hersh is the Hungry Ghost, but Neither have to be You...

The Hungry Ghost is the idea of the part of you that is never satiated. Whether ridiculous, or subtle, any state of unwarranted unrest or feeling of incompleteness which can be satiated by acquisition, is an aspect of the Hungry Ghost.

Tricky Hersh is the same concept. When you do something you know you shouldn't do, you justify it by tricking yourself that you really need to do it, it doesn't make much difference, you'll only do it once, this will be the last time, you're only doing it, 'cause you don't care, it's really in a way good for you, everyone else is doing it, you deserve it, you haven't thought about it that deeply, it was someone else's idea, it's to keep others from being upset, no one will notice, you won't get caught, you're a bad person anyway, you don't care, to not do it would be punishing, or extreme, you'll be at peace after you do it..... get the idea?

But the tricky thing about Tricky, is that once you do that thing that you shoudn't/didn't need/said you wouldn't/was foolish, Tricky instantly changes his stance, whether sooner or later, and then becomes the voice within you most vehement in their condemnation of your actions. You then become stupid, careless, uncaring, foolish, worthless, silly, a waste, deserving of all your faults, flaws, and ill luck, fat, stupid, lazy, dumb, shameless, immoral, unethical, unjust, irreverant.... get the idea?

It's a see-saw, while your higher nature, neither wants the thing, nor feels any differently about you after having done it.

forgiveness is ever at hand, as well as love. (In fact, I have a slogan, "Love your Shame" for there are many things we all feel shame and regret for that we have done and said in this life. Usually when we think of these things, it's with a feeling of shock and shame. I say, "love your shame" for if we are ashamed, we can not live fully. We feel less than. It's not the same as saying we have forgiveness of those we trespass. But it's a way out from feeling forever shameful, less than, and bad.) Essentially, equanimity is the voice, the road, the path that one should reside, recede, run to, to protect oneself from Tricky Hersh, aka the Hungry Ghost.

I call it Tricky Hersh, because first he/she tricks you, and then is harsh.

In reality, both parts are lower parts of yourself that you must claim, rather than discredit or distance yourself from. As you train the mind, you make it so that your voice, is at all times, the one of your own equanimity, or your own buddha nature. In this way, you integrate your foibles, and rise above them, step by step, to the path of righteousness. This is what is refered to, when it is said that to eat when one is hungry, sleep when one is tired, and to simply deal with life, from a place of simplicity and honesty, is the quickest path to peace. what is not meant, is that one should give in to Tricky Hersh.