There are a wide range of answers to a question like this.

I think the simplest way to put it is to think of why a person prefers red to blue rather than blue to red. It's just a choice, a preferance. Being wealthy financially doesn't always equal happiness for people. I know a lot of people who are perfectly content making just enough to cover there living costs and occasional luxuries.

I have a friend who is "happily poor". He refuses to go to school, he quits jobs whenever he gets tired of it and is usually.. broke. But, he's travelled the U.S. He has amazing friendships and connections with people. He loves his life; whenever he wants to do something, the means to do it seem to magically pop into his life. He has no desire for money itself.

You could also think of it in a video game or movie sense. A lot of people will play through a video game without cheats, because they like the challenge. Others happily use cheat codes.

You probably enjoy a wide range of movies, too, right? Sometimes you're in the mood for action, other times drama... sometimes you want to see a horror film. The variety and contrast is great. We don't want to experience the same movie over and over again... well, some of us do.

Then again, maybe it is karma. Or maybe we just "pick up where our vibration left off". Maybe there's a challenge you want to overcome, so you can feel proud of yourself that you could pull through it.

But regardless of what the real reason is, it doesn't matter. We have the freedom to shift ourselves if our life isn't at a point where we would like it to be. If being wealthy is someone's dream, being born into poverty doesn't mean that they won't ever achieve it.

I hope you found this helpful :)

I personally believe that it is about rounding out our souls and experiencing everything we can. If you look at it in a way of physical human form which we are all experiencing right now then I can see how people can look at reincarnating into poverty as a bad decision.

If you look at it in a way of human experience being a game or an illusion then it almost seems like the next move on the chess board. Who's to say the persons past five lives weren't flowing with money and abundance. Maybe they got what they needed from soul growth in that department and wanted to move to the next level in their expansion of existence. We always seems to try to figure these things out in our conscious Now human way of thinking instead of looking at it from an infinite universal perspective.

I like to believe that I chose every life I have lived for a particular reason. Have it be soul growth, curiosity, or even just for the exciting ride that life truly is.

Doesn't that feeling of overcoming an obstacle in our lives feel awesome. You know, those things that we have told ourselves hundreds of times we can't do and we finally do it. It's the best feeling ever. It's the same as coming into this world with the odds stacked against us and proving to ourselves that nothing can keep us from what we want and desire on this great planet called Earth.

Many are being born into poverty in order to learn compassion and round out their souls.

karma prods developement to individuality,
we are constantly changing,
learning, slowly decaying and maybe understanding more of our complexity,
is it possibe that this plight is consequential to
one of our many choices

The main thing to know is that anyone can improve their state, and spiritual progress regardless of their external circumstances. Most actions performed by people are totally unconscious. Assuming one believes in the theory of reincarnation, then reincarnating itself is almost always an unconscious and automatic action with little choice. It is only through hard work and progress here that we can learn to start making conscious choices about how we wish to live (and die)..

terrance do you really think that it is better to be rich then poor? if so why did jesus said to leave everything you own even your life.

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

http://bible.cc/matthew/19-24.htm

why did buddha who was a prince leave is kingdom and treasure to go meditate in the woods.

When he reached the age of 16, his father reputedly arranged his marriage to a cousin of the same age named Yaśodharā (Pāli: Yasodharā). According to the traditional account,[which?] she gave birth to a son, named Rahula. Siddhartha is then said to have spent 29 years as a prince in Kapilavastu. Although his father ensured that Siddhartha was provided with everything he could want or need, Buddhist scriptures say that the future Buddha felt that material wealth was not life's ultimate goal.

when he vowed never to arise until he had found the truth.[35] Kaundinya and four other companions, believing that he had abandoned his search and become undisciplined, left. After a reputed 49 days of meditation, at the age of 35, he is said to have attained Enlightenment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha

ask your self this before you incarnate would you make the choice to be poor or rich to attain your spiritual goal?

if you are rich is it easier to leave it all. or is it better to be poor then you have nothing to leave away except your life.

experience and enjoy.

Greetings Terrence,

Look at it this way: The reason you're here is to experience the experience of existence. Your soul reincarnates over and over and over again because it enjoys the experience of existence.

And to your soul essence, poverty or wealth is just another experience. And unfortunately, there is no straight answer to this question because soul essence doesn't have a mind to reason with. It just chooses an experience to experience.

And no life is perfect. A life of wealth does not mean it's rich in other areas of life, like love, or relationships, or even happiness. There are plenty of people who live in poverty who are happy and joyful. But there are also those in poverty who are not happy at all. In both instances though the soul essence is equally joyful of the experience of existence. Hope this helps!

Luke