While being born to a wealthy and influential family has it's rewards and makes many things easier for us, there is no shame in being born to a less illustrious family. In fact, there may be some advantages to it as Don Quixote points out.

    A person born to a wealthy family is quite often so spoiled that they are unable to do any useful work or have an original idea. They are too accustomed to having parents, advisors and servants do everything for them. And they are often unable to understand what it is like to live from pay check to pay check or to wonder if you will have anything to eat today. There are exception, of course, but not many.

    On the other hand, a person who is born to a very average family who, through hard work and original thinking , manages to make a good deal of money or to get himself into a high position socially or politically is far more likely to understand the average person and is less likely to be consumed by greed and indifference to the suffering of others.

    The same is very often true in the religious and spiritual communities. If one is the child of a wealthy and influential religious leader, that person is likely to follow in the parents footsteps or at least follow in their beliefs. That child may become a popular and wealthy preacher also, but is not likely to be one who awakens to true spirituality. Also, one born to wealth is more likely to be too fond of material pursuits to place much time or effort into spiritual growth.

    The person who is more likely to accept real spirituality is someone who comes from a family not heavily religious, or at least not in the most popular churches, and may very likely be from a family where religion was not practiced much at all. That is why spiritual teachers often look to agnostics to find new students.

    Persons who have no strong religious beliefs even though they believe in God, are far more likely to be able to listen to the truth when it comes to God, the angels, and the development of one's own soul and they are the type most likely to end up as great spiritual teachers themselves.

    Remember that Jesus too was born to a poor, humble family.