Why does the majority remember nothing about past lives and what is the point of this life if you take away 0?

[SeaAndSky]

Hi Cat,

There is a lot that the Cathars did not get right IMO. But, right or wrong, they would have been 100% behind the soul trap viewpoint. However, even within that viewpoint, there seems to be little from the "teachings" received of them through the hands of their murderers and detractors that points to any rhyme or reason in the reincarnation process. Instead of the benign teaching process affirmed by many, reincarnation was merely the means of keeping us from rising into the realms of light and instead returning us over and over again to this world of forgetfulness and pain under Satan's dominion. From that standpoint, the process can be one of pure chance so long as it keeps us from escaping. Interestingly, there are some in the present day that propose that the Tarot Trumps, which originated a century or so after the Cathars were (for the most part) annihilated, are a crypto teaching summary of their viewpoints. I.e., a resource hidden in plain sight that could be used by the few remaining Cathars to teach and instruct. More than a little far-fetched I suppose, but every time I look at the "Wheel of Fortune" Tarot Trump card, I wonder. The "wheel of birth" would be like that wheel of chance, sometimes up, sometimes down, rich or poor, sick or well, etc. And, all without very much in the way of rhyme or reason. (The current discussion on Judy Garland's possible past lives would give one VERY GOOD example of this). So, you takes your turn and you takes your chances. Spin the wheel, for better or worse, rich or poor, happy or sad, you are back here again.

Cordially
S&S

 

[cloud potato]

Hi,

I can not speak to everything that has been shared in this thread. I can only share my personal attitude at this time. Specifically, addressing the title of the thread...

We must realize we are born into this world free from preconceived notions. I believe no baby is born evil. We also realize we are born with limitations. For the first two years, a newborn has a terrible sense of spatial awareness- it's as if they must recalibrate their understanding to comply with the demands of their host body.

We are taught what the various shapes and forms are dancing about us by our peers and our environment. We are also taught what is considered desirable or undesirable. We are also taught, by way of experiential wisdom, the ways of this particular world we are born into. There is so much thrown upon us.

And it seems there are countless ideas to validate whatever school of thought we find ourselves presently entertaining.
There are still so many unanswered questions. I do not believe it is possible to know everything from such a limited view point. Can we fathom the wild array of life that might extend beyond our solar system?

What might life be like for a being endowed with over 100 senses? What about time? Can we imagine time being different from how we experience it here on this planet?

I have had ideas attached to me in my youth that do not matter so much now as a middle aged adult. I have had ideas change as well, and ideas that have never left me- that propel my curiosity in the desired direction. No matter the age, or the school of thought, revelation is at all times possible.

So... To your question, what is the point? I believe, experiential wisdom is a part of the point. More important than that, is the developing relationship with the self.

We must also recognize that we have different words and beliefs to describe the same thing. Where one sees opportunity for emancipation, another sees imprisonment.

Personally, I prefer to use the word God. But this attempt to answer your question is not a battle of wits, semantics or whose version of reality is right. It's just an attempt to share. I think of God as a Living and Loving Intelligence. Have you tried praying on your question? Have you tried taking time in stillness? People think prayers go unanswered, but I do not believe that to be the case either.

Answers don't always happen in the manner we hope for, or expect. But we can learn to sense with our Hearts. It's the act of turning inward. We do it at a young age, when we give faith taking our limited bodies from crawling to walking. And have you seen the joy exuding from the newborn who finally accomplishes such a feat?

And how quickly do we forget this monumental accomplishment, only to become preoccupied with the next challenge presently occupying our thoughts?

I do not believe the takeaway is 0.

------
To make it even more personable...
I came to these forums with the belief that perhaps I had a life from another planet. At the time, such talks were not allowed here. So I did not push too much. I also had feelings and memories that might be associated with fallen angels. I thought a being was influencing my ideas and that may very well be the case.

When I read your inquiry on famous past lives, I thought- even if the information the person is receiving is true, how much of it is an attachment to an idea versus it being a persons actual past life? But this attachment to an idea is not meant to be a negative, if we choose to entertain it- it is very much a reciprocal relationship.

It doesn't negate the reality that you are as well, the human personality you presently find yourself exploring. And in the grand scheme of things, fair or unfair- wise or unwise... Things may not make sense to us, from our limited vantage point. We are already so preoccupied with learning or even, unlearning...

To me, the point is recognizing that partnership with the Living Intelligence. Answers come, answers change. At all times, revelation is possible. That turning inward alongside walking the path of experiential wisdom. At a certain point, a great leap of faith must be taken in order to move forward. The baby so graciously places Faith in those who care for it, who nurture and guide it. And the greatest joy a baby may find comes from placing faith in itself, and seeing the fruits of such decisive action. The parents can not walk for the baby, the baby must choose to walk.

I believe the human sojourn is not the end for me. That there are lives on other worlds, realities that mean evolving ever closer to that Guiding force. I have Faith in that reality.

But for now, I am here... And I do the best with what I got. . And I believe that right now, we have the opportunity to learn in the manner our sense-endowments allow... I can not speak for everyone. And my ways may not make sense to some at this time. But I believe on some level I chose to learn here. It is not always easy. I fall. I struggle. I hurt. But all the while, I develop that personal relationship within... We are given taste of inspiration in the development of our relationship with a Living God. We then seek the desired path... We choose to walk.

There is a point. But wherever you find yourself, simply allow yourself to feel and listen with your Heart. That is your best guide and compass. And know that if you decide something contrary to what I am sharing, that too is true and just.

Have Faith that answers will come, and allow yourself to be inspired.

 

[There and back again]

But, how can anyone learn anything if each time you are born your memory is wiped clean? Can you elaborate on that? Because to be honest, it does not make any sense to me. Oh, BTW; this place we are trapped in is NOT a school, it is designed in every possible way to destroy a soul rather than grow. It is a typical New Age propaganda that remembering previous life or who we are would interfere with the ''current learning process."

A lot of the new age is just sugar water with some truths mixed while people are spoon fed a little here or there by trickster spirits. This world from how people experienced isn't for spiritual growth and much more like a holding place or worse energy farm. Depriving souls of their memories is a cruel fate never mind designing lives loaded with needless pain and suffering.

 

[baro-san]

Why does the majority remember nothing about past lives and what is the point of this life if you take away 0?

An analogy ...

Let's say that I attend a school and I take a course, let's say arithmetic. I learn more or less of what I'm taught there, going through a series of predetermined lessons and exercises, presented in various formats, I get some concepts easily, others are more difficult.

At the same time and successively, I take other courses too: a foreign language, history, philosophy, geometry, physics, drawing, piano, chemistry, ... at different levels.

From each course I learn something, I distill the information into knowledge. I've learned to count, in a foreign language too, but it doesn't matter what specific example, lesson, teacher thought me. I forgot that because not only that it doesn't matter, but because remembering those specifics is actually counterproductive, ir would be mechanistic learning. I need to accumulate knowledge that I can use in any circumstances, and it isn't necessary, nor useful to remember how exactly I acquired it.

To me, it seems to be the same with remembering past lives.

On the same idea: I walk, I talk, I think, ... It doesn't matter how I got to be able to do these.

 

[SeaAndSky]

An analogy ...

Let's say that I attend a school and I take a course, let's say arithmetic. I learn more or less of what I'm taught there, going through a series of predetermined lessons and exercises, presented in various formats, I get some concepts easily, others are more difficult.

At the same time and successively, I take other courses too: a foreign language, history, philosophy, geometry, physics, drawing, piano, chemistry, ... at different levels.

From each course I learn something, I distill the information into knowledge. I've learned to count, in a foreign language too, but it doesn't matter what specific example, lesson, teacher thought me. I forgot that because not only that it doesn't matter, but because remembering those specifics is actually counterproductive, ir would be mechanistic learning. I need to accumulate knowledge that I can use in any circumstances, and it isn't necessary, nor useful to remember how exactly I acquired it.

To me, it seems to be the same with remembering past lives.

On the same idea: I walk, I talk, I think, ... It doesn't matter how I got to be able to do these.

I agree overall with your point and life really does work that way. However the foregoing does not keep us from remembering what went on in class much less all the other things that were going on in our lives at that time. Even if we have the distilled knowledge it doesn’t explain the erasure of context much less the erasure of everything else that happened during the same time period.

Cordially
S&S

 

[baro-san]

I agree overall with your point and life really does work that way. However the foregoing does not keep us from remembering what went on in class much less all the other things that were going on in our lives at that time. Even if we have the distilled knowledge it doesn’t explain the erasure of context much less the erasure of everything else that happened during the same time period.

Cordially
S&S

I agree that It doesn't explain, but it shows it isn't important and it isn't an impediment for what we are here for: to learn and grow.

The past lives information, and much more, is stored in the subconscious, and it can be accessed. Part of our growth is to become able to do it if and when we want that. What most of us perceive us to be, and believe us to be able, I believe that it is much less than what we actually are and the potential we have.

Think about the predicament of a kid who goes to school everyday not knowing that he is there to learn, who gets distracted by sideshows. This happen to most of us every morning when we wake up, and forget our overnight instruction during sleep and dreaming. Everyone will eventually, in this or after a number of other lives, figure it out. We learn both from our and others' successes and failures, aware of that or not.

Obviously, it isn't that every educated person is beter than those less educated. But a properly educated person is better than his own uneducated version. Being part of a framework in which education is the primary objective rubs on us unconsciously, even when we aren't best students.