What is my ancestry? who cares.

[SarathW]

I see some people are so much engrossed with their ancestry. I am not in favour of this because people use this valuable tool to make more division than for the unification. I watched the following video and they all about how men are the major force behind the civilisation. No mention of the women. Didn’t we have a genderless society before human evolution? Why D&A can’t point to that very fact.
Anyhow at least I am happy to see the presenter end the video slamming the race discrimination. I think we can use this valuable tool to end all discrimination.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings Sarath,

I agree. I see little to no relevance to the ancestry of those who came before us, who we've never met.

There's an ad on TV at the moment where some company is offering insights into your ancestors. Some guy is on the ad, who was one of the customers of this service, and he is there enthusing about some precedessor who had something to do with a horse that won a horse race, which would later go on to be known as the Melbourne Cup. He says "I tell someone about this at least once every day". I couldn't help but think he must be a bit of a sad sack.

All such things do is reify identity, whereas the serious end of the Dhamma tries to do the opposite.

Metta,
Paul.

[Coëmgenu]

If you are from Europe in your ancestry, and you use ancestry.com & pay for their service, you will receive, after submitting your DNA, a very detailed map of ancestry based on your genetic code.

If you are East Asian, you will receive a package from the same organization informing you that you are "East Asian". Your world-map will have one big splotch over Asia that is one colour, rather than detailed multicolour splotches in various places, like the person of European ancestry got. Their coverage is less-than-across-the-globe. More work has been done on European & New World genetics than any other group.

[Kim OHara]

I don't disagree with any of the posts so far but will just point out that there's one way in which knowing one's ancestry may be beneficial, i.e. when it shows people who believe themselves to be 100% Caucasian that their ancestry is actually mixed. If they find, e.g., a large Asian or African component, those people are mentally switched from "other" to "us", which has to be a good thing.

It can happen to non-Caucasians as well, of course, but Caucasians seem to be most inclined to deny (or not know) any other ancestry they may have, and to assume that "other" = "inferior". I'm Caucasian myself (English and Scottish ancestry) but people in my extended family have recently been finding out about their Arabic connections three or four generations back - connections which were "politely" ignored or suppressed at the time and thus not known by their grandchildren. I don't think this is unusual.


Kim

[SarathW]

I don't think this is unusual.

I quite agree.
We are in a society we do not give a hoot about their father and mother, brother and sister let alone their ancestry.
They use all those tools only to strengthen their own self-view.

[Kim OHara]

I don't think this is unusual.

I quite agree.
We are in a society we do not give a hoot about their father and mother, brother and sister let alone their ancestry.
They use all those tools only to strengthen their own self-view.

That may be true but it wasn't the point of my statement, Sarath.
What I was getting at is that knowledge of non-European ancestry in "English" families (in England or the colonies) was actively suppressed or hidden 100 - 150 years ago, most often because it was seen as shameful, and three or four generations later the knowledge has been lost completely.


Kim

[SarathW]

it was seen as shameful, and three or four generations later the knowledge has been lost completely.

Agree.
What I am saying is sometimes we are shameful of our own parents and brothers and sisters.

[Garrib]

I had my maternal grandpa and dad do a DNA test last year. We found out a few new things about the family on both sides. I don't think this is all that helpful in practice, but I do think this kind of investigation might lead to a greater appreciation for the preciousness of your human birth, albeit in a somewhat mundane way. Think of all the improbable situations in the lives of countless ancestors that had to take place in order for you to receive this human body from your parents. It is kind of mind boggling. My research also convinced me that I have some Sephardic Jewish ancestry, which I thought was interesting. At the end of the day thought, it all kind of feels like entertainment.

[Justsit]

Genetics is very useful in the study of diseases that occur in certain populations. Examples include thalassemia in Mediterranean countries; Tay Sachs disease among Ashkenazi Jews, some French Canadian, and some Cajuns; or sickle cell anemia in persons from sub-Saharan Africa, parts of India, the Arabian peninsula, and among people of African origin living in other parts of the world. Also, women who carry a certain gene are more likely to develop breast cancer.

Knowing one's ancestry can be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of these and similar gene-linked diseases.

[chownah]

A lot of the things which buddhists think of when they think of rebirth (beauty, ability, temperament, etc.) are explained by many as having a genetic component. If we accept that these things have a genetic component then it is possible/probable that dna plays a role in the transmission of kamma or its fruition. Does this make ancestry a more important issue for buddhists?
chownah

[DNS]

I don't disagree with any of the posts so far but will just point out that there's one way in which knowing one's ancestry may be beneficial, i.e. when it shows people who believe themselves to be 100% Caucasian that their ancestry is actually mixed. If they find, e.g., a large Asian or African component, those people are mentally switched from "other" to "us", which has to be a good thing.

Yes, I agree with this. Many Jews believe they are the 'chosen people' and believe their race is mostly pure. A genetic test will show how much that is not true. I took that test and found out I have a large percentage of Ashkenazi background, but also Arab, North African and even some of the dreaded gentile-European blood too

It just goes to show there is no 'pure' race or ethnicity and if it helps dispel that for people, I think it's good.

[No_Mind]

I don't disagree with any of the posts so far but will just point out that there's one way in which knowing one's ancestry may be beneficial, i.e. when it shows people who believe themselves to be 100% Caucasian that their ancestry is actually mixed. If they find, e.g., a large Asian or African component, those people are mentally switched from "other" to "us", which has to be a good thing.

Yes, I agree with this. Many Jews believe they are the 'chosen people' and believe their race is mostly pure. A genetic test will show how much that is not true. I took that test and found out I have a large percentage of Ashkenazi background, but also Arab, North African and even some of the dreaded gentile-European blood too

It just goes to show there is no 'pure' race or ethnicity and if it helps dispel that for people, I think it's good.

We do not need diversity among mods David. You are the entire United Nations almost

[Dhammarakkhito]

read Assalāyana discourse https://suttacentral.net/en/mn93 (buddha on caste)

[Bundokji]

It is interesting how many religions (including Buddhism) focused on the ancestry and at the same time dismissed it as irrelevant and unimportant. If i am not mistaken, the Shakyas were perceived as a noble tribe. In the Muslim tradition, the Hashemites were also known to be a noble tribe. All of Jewish prophets shared the same ancestors/line which is also implied to be pure or superior. While Jesus is the son of God himself!

In a way, religions seem to put emphasis on ancestors/genetics, and on the other hand, they are telling us that what makes a real difference is virtue and wisdom, not ancestors.

[SarathW]

I don't disagree with any of the posts so far but will just point out that there's one way in which knowing one's ancestry may be beneficial, i.e. when it shows people who believe themselves to be 100% Caucasian that their ancestry is actually mixed. If they find, e.g., a large Asian or African component, those people are mentally switched from "other" to "us", which has to be a good thing.

Yes, I agree with this. Many Jews believe they are the 'chosen people' and believe their race is mostly pure. A genetic test will show how much that is not true. I took that test and found out I have a large percentage of Ashkenazi background, but also Arab, North African and even some of the dreaded gentile-European blood too

It just goes to show there is no 'pure' race or ethnicity and if it helps dispel that for people, I think it's good.

We do not need diversity among mods David. You are the entire United Nations almost

I like to thank David's ancestors for influencing him to start DW.