Tue, 11 Feb 2003

The Second Meditation

Genes are the basic protein building blocks of all life.

Genes are, for all practical purposes, virtually indestructible. So long as there is at least a single breeding pair of humans, the human genome will be complete. Only with extinction can genes be destroyed, and even in this extreme case, permanent damage is prevented by the continued survival of “ancestor” genes – the original gene that mutated into the now extinct gene. Therefore, as long as life itself exists, any gene that ever existed could be recreated from the base material.

Ancestors are our cultural forbearers.

Culture is, for all practical purposes, virtually indestructible. Culture is so utterly mutable as to be destroyed and re-created on a daily basis. Culture is the product of the interaction between sentient beings. These interactions are fluid and dynamic, therefore culture is constantly evolving. Constant merging with and subterfuge of other cultures is a guarantee that as long as sentient beings exist, culture will exist.

Quite often, our genetic ancestors are subset of our cultural ancestors.

But, genes are not culture.

Individuals are the product of genes and culture.

Since genes and culture are indestructible, the essence of the individual is essentially indestructible.

We are the sum of the thoughts, deeds and genes of those who have come before us: we are the promise of the past to the future.

We have the ability to control the extent of our immortality. Every child we bring into the world expands the extent of our genetic immortality. Our every word and deed can enhance or reduce our cultural immortality.

To paraphrase Walt Kelly’s Pogo, “We have met the ancestors, and they is us!”

This is the essence of wyrd – this is the meaning of fate.

/Asatru | 0 writebacks | permanent link

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