Dear Agony Aunt... Life lessons

[Wai]

Dear Agony Aunt,

I am told that before a person incarnates on earth, his/her soul will draw up a life plan containing the lessons that the person is to learn. In this life plan, the soul will select the gender, race, parents, siblings, friends, and even the place where the person will be born in.

If this is so, I wonder why so many people, more than 80% of the people in the world, choose a life of poverty. Is it because lessons are easier to learn when one is poor?

If it is true that lessons are easily learned by a poor person, would a person leaving a poor country for a richer country likely to fail to learn those lessons, since this person may now become richer?

I am told that when a person fails to learn the lessons, he will most likely have to learn them in another life. This means coming back for another lifetime and probably in poverty again!

I ask these questions because I am thinking of moving to another country as I find where I am staying becoming increasingly expensive and stressful.

Aunt, I need your advice/comment.

If I move to another place, am I running away from the lessons that I am supposed to learn by leaving a conducive learning environment that I planned for myself?

Should I move to a less stressful place, most likely miss a couple of lessons and then have to come back for another lifetime to learn them, or should I just stay where I am and finish the lessons?

These questions also apply to the millions of people who are moving from the poorer Third World countries to seek a richer life in the wealthier countries of the West.

Love,

Wandering Wanderer

[Aureus]

If this is so, I wonder why so many people, more than 80% of the people in the world, choose a life of poverty.

What other choice is there? There are only so many spots..

[Fang]

If this is so, I wonder why so many people, more than 80% of the people in the world, choose a life of poverty.

What other choice is there? There are only so many spots..

There is also the issue of only being able to choose when to incarnate after progressing past the mid subdensity of the 3rd density. So as much as we all like to think everyone chose to be in their current situation it's not actually true.

[zenmaster]

Wai, who is telling you things, and why do you believe them?

[Jade]

3D life is all about choices, and living in poverty creates many more difficult decisions. I don't think it's "easier" to learn lessons when you're poor, but they are more valuable to a service-to-others entity. You did this to grow and to learn how to be in service to others without taking the easy way out - ie giving millions to charity or having 100% free time to volunteer. None of us *have* to live in poverty, it's not the more pious thing necessarily, though many spiritually minded people have such a subconscious block against wealth it feeds the illusion that money = bad.

Of course we also have this from Ra which I presume is the passage you're referring to:

54.17 ▶ Questioner: I would like then to trace the evolution of catalyst upon the mind/body/spirit complexes and how it comes into use and is fully used to create this tuning. I assume that the sub-Logos that formed our tiny part of the creation using the intelligence of the Logos of which it is a part, provides, shall I say, the base catalyst that will act upon mind/body complexes and mind/body/spirit complexes before they reach the state of development where they can begin to program their own catalyst. Is this correct?

Ra: I am Ra. This is partially correct. The sub-Logos offers the catalyst at the lower levels of energy, the first triad; these have to do with the survival of the physical complex. The higher centers gain catalyst from the biases of the mind/body/spirit complex itself in response to all random and directed experiences.

Thus the less developed entity will perceive the catalyst about it in terms of survival of the physical complex with the distortions which are preferred. The more conscious entity, being conscious of the catalytic process, will begin to transform the catalyst offered by the sub-Logos into catalyst which may act upon the higher energy nexi. Thus the sub-Logos can offer only a basic skeleton, shall we say, of catalyst. The muscles and flesh having to do with the, shall we say, survival of wisdom, love, compassion, and service are brought about by the action of the mind/body/spirit complex on basic catalyst so as to create a more complex catalyst which may in turn be used to form distortions within these higher energy centers.

The more advanced the entity, the more tenuous the connection between the sub-Logos and the perceived catalyst until, finally, all catalyst is chosen, generated, and manufactured by the self, for the self.

54.18 ▶ Questioner: Which entities incarnate at this time on this planet would be of that category, manufacturing all of their catalyst?

Ra: I am Ra. We find your query indeterminate but can respond that the number of those which have mastered outer catalyst completely is quite small.

Most of those harvestable at this space/time nexus have partial control over the outer illusion and are using the outer catalyst to work upon some bias which is not yet in balance.

54.19 ▶ Questioner: In the case of service-to-self polarization, what type of catalyst would entities following this path program when they reach the level of programming their own catalyst?

Ra: I am Ra. The negatively oriented entity will program for maximal separation from and control over all those things and conscious entities which it perceives as being other than the self.

54.20 ▶ Questioner: I meant— I understand how a positively oriented entity would program catalyst such as that would result in physical pain if it— I’m assuming that an entity could program something that would give it the experience of physical pain if it did not follow the path that it had selected. Is this correct?

Ra: I am Ra. Please restate query.

54.21 ▶ Questioner: A positively oriented entity may select a certain narrow path of thinking and activities during an incarnation and program conditions that would create physical pain if this path were not followed. Is this correct?

Ra: I am Ra. This is correct.

54.22 ▶ Questioner: Would a negatively oriented entity do anything like this? Could you give me an example?

Ra: I am Ra. A negatively oriented individual mind/body/spirit complex will ordinarily program for wealth, ease of existence, and the utmost opportunity for power. Thus many negative entities burst with the physical complex distortion you call health.

However, a negatively oriented entity may choose a painful condition in order to improve the distortion toward the so-called negative emotive mentations such as anger, hatred, and frustration. Such an entity may use an entire incarnative experience honing a blunt edge of hatred or anger so that it may polarize more towards the negative or separated pole.

54.23 ▶ Questioner: Now, it seems that we have prior to incarnation, in any incarnation, as an entity becomes more aware of the process of evolution and has selected a path whether it be positive or negative, at some point the entity becomes aware of what it wants to do with respect to unblocking and balancing energy centers. At that point it is able to program for the life experience those catalytic experiences that will aid it in its process of unblocking and balancing. Is that correct?

Ra: I am Ra. That is correct.

54.24 ▶ Questioner: The purpose then, seen from previous to incarnation, of what we call the incarnate physical state, seems to be wholly, or almost wholly, that of experiencing at that point the programmed catalyst and then evolving as a function of that catalyst. Is that correct?

Ra: I am Ra. We shall restate for clarity. The purpose of incarnative existence is evolution of mind, body, and spirit. In order to do this it is not strictly necessary to have catalyst. However, without catalyst the desire to evolve and the faith in the process do not normally manifest and thus evolution occurs not. Therefore, catalyst is programmed and the program is designed for the mind/body/spirit complex for its unique requirements. Thus it is desirable that a mind/body/spirit complex be aware of and hearken to the voice of its experiential catalyst, gleaning from it that which it incarnated to glean.

Once we learn and process all of the catalyst we have given to ourselves to manifest out of being "poor", I think that obstacle slowly removes itself.

[Melissa]

Wai, I'm having the same kind of doubts about moving. But I'd love to live on an island without financial stress, make art and welcome people who are seeking a place to 'just be'.

[Steppingfeet]

If this is so, I wonder why so many people, more than 80% of the people in the world, choose a life of poverty. Is it because lessons are easier to learn when one is poor?

I would respond firstly noting that, according to the Law of One, many in this illusion have not evolved sufficiently to be making their own-preincarnative arrangements. Rather it seems that many follow the course set by the higher self until such time that they become conscious enough (I think defined by the activation of their green ray?) to begin programming for themselves.

Either way, your question still stands.

I wouldn't imagine that "easier" is a criterion that frequently comes into play when setting up the incarnation to come. Rather, I believe that when designing the upcoming incarnation, questions include: "What important variables and catalyst will help to yield the learning and the balances I desire? What will grant me the maximum chance of success?"

To whatever extent the condition of poverty plays in catalytic learning, I can only guess. I am sure there are both very general and very individualistic reasons. From the standpoint of the self outside of incarnation, I believe it is a catalyst like any other, to be utilized and experienced.

From the standpoint of our third-density illusion, there are a collection of reasons for the prevalence of poverty on this planet, including economic, political, governmental, historical, cultural, religious, and reasons of polarity. But among the many reasons, it may be safe to conclude that poverty is so widespread because humans as a collective (mostly unconsciously and in great confusion) have more-or-less chosen this condition, or at least failed to choose otherwise.

Those souls who incarnate into poverty conditions are also inextricable parts of that human collective which has chosen the conditions whereby poverty is precipitated; they are not outside of this system, but are active creators and contributors to the system, disempowered though they may politically and economically seem on the surface of things.

If it is true that lessons are easily learned by a poor person, would a person leaving a poor country for a richer country likely to fail to learn those lessons, since this person may now become richer?

I think that moving forward on the premise of lessons being more "easily" learned within the condition of poverty will skew all further thinking. Though I can speak only for myself, I would do away with that premise.

I could be mistaken, but based upon my faith that we each experience that which we need*, both poverty and wealth can facilitate learning in the individual; as may the movement from one condition to the other: the person who releases their wealth for a simple and humble life of service, and the person who strives to gain wealth. Though the results in polarity, if any are gained, may be very different.

*Note: This is NOT a prescription to decline to be of service to those in need or who are suffering because, "they are experiencing what they need". Those of the positive polarity ought strive nevertheless to aid all who suffer.

I am told that when a person fails to learn the lessons, he will most likely have to learn them in another life. This means coming back for another lifetime and probably in poverty again!

I think what you describe above is a very easy trap for those aware of the basic mechanisms of spiritual to fall into.

"I don't desire this condition, but I fear that in seeking to improve this condition, I will avoid a desired lesson and consequently be forced to repeat it."

In my opinion, when it comes to making a decision, we have to analyze a choice point as best we can. Be honest with yourself, examine your emotions and motivations. Look for fear and love in your thinking. Seek the counsel of your heart and strive to exercise both the intellectual and intuitive faculties to find the path that is perceived to be your highest and best, that which feels the most "right" to you, and, hopefully, that which offers the greatest service to others if that, too, should feel right.

It can be difficult to come by certainty in this process of making a decision. Many of us leap into mid-air without that certainty, but at some point you jump one way or the other, you go left or right on the road, not ultimately knowing which is "best". You walk forward in the faith that you cannot make a mistake and that your lessons will meet you no matter which road you choose.

Doubt has its place at first, but then you have to stop feeding and energizing and paying attention to doubt, and go where your heart tells you to go, confused though it may be.

Helpful in this process is the practice of the awareness that *all is well*. This helps to curb doubt and fear. Helpful also is the contemplation that the self can be discovered in ANY outer condition.

Insofar as you create an identity of a poor person or rich person; or another way to say: insofar as you identify as one at the exclusion of the other, you erect opaque obstacles toward your experience of the Self which is already, 100% here.

Ra's balancing exercises includes the practice of seeing that the mind contains all things, including identities of wealth and poverty. Seeing that you contain both poverty and wealth identities, even if one is only potential and remains unmanifest, is a truer balance, and helps you to disidentify from either outer role, opening a space for the awareness to transcend, or rise above the outer shells of identity.

Love and Light to you, dear Wanderering Wanderer.
Gary

[Wai]

Wai, who is telling you things, and why do you believe them?

These things are based on what I have read or heard. I am now asking members in the forum their opinion and comment because I am not quite sure I believe what I read or heard anymore.

It is highly possible that my interpretation of what I have read or heard is wrong. On many occasions, I see only what I want to see, hear only what I want to hear, and fear what I need not fear.

---

Of course we also have this from Ra which I presume is the passage you're referring to: ...,

Thanks Jade. You're spot on! That's the Ra passage that I have been reading over and over again in trying to understand life lessons and catalysts, why some poor people are decent and why some rich people are so arrogant. What is even more challenging for me to understand is watching poor people who were decent and generous, becoming arrogant and self-serving when they become rich because of some business or political connection.