It is said that although Gaki in Buddhism has a burning tongue because of the sin of having told a lie in life so that he cannot drink or eat because everything in his mouth is burned away, the water through Jizo Bosatsu's mercy can reach Gaki's throat and he can interrupt suffering for a while (during which people pray for Gaki to become Buddha by reading mass and reciting sutras with great virtue as part of the Hungry Ghosts' Feeding Festival).
仏教上における餓鬼は、生前嘘を他言した罪で燃える舌を持っており、口に入れた飲食物は炎を上げて燃え尽き飲み食いすることは出来ないが、地蔵菩薩の慈悲を通した水は餓鬼の喉にも届き、暫くの間苦しみがとぎれると言われている（その間に供養を捧げたり得の高い経文を聞かせたりして成仏を願うのが施餓鬼の法要の一端でもある）。