Mary Todd Allen, been poor and now I am not!

Ran a food pantry for 10 years and a

non profit
Written 16 Jun 2015

In the spirit of Quora, I want to answer your question just as you asked it. If I am
understanding your question you want to know why those in poverty are suffering
rather than why there are people in poverty (as in what is the cause of poverty?).
People suffer from poverty because they often cannot meet the most basic of needs
for themselves and their family. Food, shelter, safety and self-esteem are often a
struggle for those in poverty. The suffering comes from the seemingly endless
struggle to satisfy these basic needs with no hope in sight. Once people have hope
that they can change their situation, the suffering begins to diminish.
1.2k Views View Upvotes Answer requested by Susana Dy

Related QuestionsMore Answers Below

Why are so many in society suffering from poverty?

Who benefits from poverty?

Being a middle class person, how can I help poor people older than my
parents from their poverty and suffering?

How right is it not to feel guilty about spending money on some luxuries from
time-to-time when there is so much suffering and poverty around?...

How can poverty be eradicated from the Indigenous People of Sindh?

Dave Davidson, aesthetics inspire pragmatism and pragmatism supports aesthetics

Written 17 Jun 2015

Poverty is the lack of basic resources.

Back in the old days, the hunter-gather would suffer from poverty if he became
physically unable to gain those resources or if he was in an area that lacked
resources.
Along came civilization and most people became automatically removed from direct
access to the basic resources.
They became dependent on trading systems to gain these resources.
Any disruption in this trading system or dysfunction in an individuals ability to
integrate with the trading system and resources become unavailable.
Todays civilizations contain many complex trading systems, large populations
requiring resources, and social values that say either sink or swim so poverty has
become rampant.
603 Views View Upvotes

Ray Douglas

Written 16 Jun 2015

The Earth has abundant natural resources but they are controlled by private interests
that are not interested in egalitarian principles.
The most abundant and most necessary natural resource required to alleviate
poverty in western cultures and which is withheld from those in poverty is land.
In nearly all struggling families, the greatest expense is rent which goes to the
controller of this natural, god given resource.
523 Views View Upvotes

Cecilieaux Bois de Murier, cover poverty as a journalist

Written 15 Jun 2015

Becuase poverty usually involves deprivation of essential material needs that human
beings have, such as food, clothing, housing, a source of self-sustenance and
education.
457 Views View Upvotes

Acosta Wynn
Written 15 Jun 2015

Being a product of poverty.Knowing its still apart of me I could answer this.We suffer
from poverty because of not one problem but multiple.
1.Selfishness
From my perspective this can be accountable for 30%-50% of the blame. In America
theGDP(basically how much we spend) is around 18 trillion dollars,around 319
million people live here.For us to evaluate about how much money every one gets if
we shared(gpd per capita) you'll divide 18 trillion by 319 million come out around
$53,041.98...but if you work minimum wage $7.25 a hour
On a 40 hour week there's about 52 weeks in a year so working 2080 hours a year at
$7.25 a hour you'll only make about $15,080 dollars....WAIT ONLY ABOUT
15,000.o.O (so with two parents working full time minimum wage they only bring
end 30 thousand THAT STILL LOWER THEN GPD PER CAPITA????!!!
So all this money goes to who?
actors?athletes?government like congress ? ( over half of congress men/women net
worth to a million dollars way above gpd per capita)
Little selfish ask me what bout soilders who fought for are rights not fought about
them died for are rights not lied about them no they come home injuryed to levels
you can't recover and only get medals but barely can get help that medal means
nothing if they sleep in a box roll in a chair can't support there only family...begging
for change...I mention I'm product poverty I'm not asking for coins I ask for change

Maybe we put congress on minnium wage maybe we can get that change cause there
still only human.....if pro is the opposite of con what's opposite of progress
2.CRIME
I hate to admit but we have to blame our self also for the other 30%-50%I cant just
blame congress.Crime is a amazing topic it happens in poverty areas more but we
have less ...this were the human mind comes into play...imagine you and your family
in a house on a street you and your wife can't make ends meet on $30,000 income a
year..eviction notice on the door you bout to live on the street well if u can't pay rent
of course u dont have enough to eat if your child looking you in the face starving
losing wieght you couldnt tell me you woukdnt contemplate to take from some else
even tho we all know its wrong a mistake but when you placed within that place
could you then grasp that thought process that stress those trials those temptaions
again were only men we well fall to sin but this why jesus died for us not to justify but
before u judge a criminal walk there shoes thou shall not judge ....all sins are equal
keep that in mind also
Now all this coming from a 16 year old who survive on food stamps and medicaid but
they say they wanna take that away we are abusing that luxury supposly explain to
me when helping the poor the have nots the broken is so bad to solve these problems
raise taxes on the rich ask why I say that I say that because this is a country founded
on god and keeping god in mind love thou neighbor help thou neighbor.. reap what
you sew (karma) so if you have it why not share why be selfish
In words of JFK
"ask not what this country can do for you ask what you can do for this country"
What I get from this
help me rise up out the ditch so i reach back and help another out to
help the community rise up to help the country rise up no I can't pay u
back ....but god will .. in god we trust
484 Views View Upvotes

Kempa Raj
Written Jun 20, 2015

Because of temptation to live lavishly.

Rule of the country in wrong hands.
Lack of Education.
Exposure to latest ongoing events.
No proper goal established in there lives.
Lack of planning
Lack of savings.
Lack of knowledge in investments.
290 Views

Suffering, Poverty, and Karma

Question
Many people are suffering in poverty and seem to never be able to get out of it. Is
this only karma or lack of effort. Recently I see people printing fake money and
no one seems to be able to stop it. Will this create bad karma for them because
even though it is bad, they are not hurting anyone?
Yogi, Malaysia

Answer
It is very difficult to see people suffering and in poverty. The karma of
individuals, both in this life and from past lives, certainly plays a role in why they
have to deal with this. Karma, the law of action and reaction, is also why it is so
difficult to get free.
In addition, mass karma, which includes the karma of whole countries and
groups of people, also has its influence. Some areas of the world, and some
groups of people, seem unable to extricate themselves from what might be
described as cycles of poverty and suffering. It seems in some places that it will
never end.
But the story of each soul, and how an individual deals with such circumstances,
is unique. Some people, in the midst of terrible circumstances, are nevertheless
able to make the most of what they have been given, and even to help others
around them. Some people understand that their circumstances are not simply
thrust on them by life, but have been brought about by their own past actions.
They understand that this karma is not only theirs to bear, but also to learn
from.
It can be helpful to imagine the kind of karma that may have brought poverty
stricken people to such difficult circumstances. By doing so, we can begin to
understand the lessons an individual may need to learn through facing those
circumstances. For instance, if someone were wealthy in one lifetime, and looked
down on and even despised the poor people around him, and did nothing to help
them alleviate their pain, then he or she might well find himself in similar
circumstances of poverty in a future lifetime. This would give him the
opportunity to understand what such poverty feels like and to perhaps begin
developing compassion for others in such circumstances.
Spiritually aware people, who are now trying to resolve past bad karma such as
this, may have the memory of having been wealthy, and having had no
compassion for others. Through this memory, and through wanting to be free of
this kind of karma, they may try in this present lifetime to resolve this by helping
others.

The law of karma, of action and the resulting reaction, is exacting. It determines
what circumstances we find ourselves in, both in this present lifetime and in
future lifetimes. This is why Sri Yukteswar, Paramhansa Yoganandas guru, said
in reference to karma, All circumstances will improve if you are making a
spiritual effort now.
The people you mention who are printing fake money will certainly reap the
results of their actions at some point. This will be their karma to deal with. The
main thing to remember is to stay away from negative activity such as this. It is
important to focus all your attention on dealing with your own lifes challenges
(your karma) and to helping uplift those around you in some way. In this way,
whether you understand the karmic tests that are coming to you or not, you will
begin to grow in a positive direction of expansion of consciousness, and of
increasing sympathy and compassion for others.
A book you might find helpful is Karma & Reincarnation, from the Wisdom of
Yogananda series. You can find this on the Crystal Clarity Publications website.