<p>I suppose you can separate mother and father into those of nature and those of nurture. Whoever provides the genetic code becomes the natural parent, whoever raises the kid becomes the nurturing parent. I wouldn't place much value on the code though - the seriousness of the act of killing a parent is probably more tied to the fact that they have devoted a large fraction of their lives to the rasing of a child.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-28T07:00:42.963Z
@SarathW In palikanon.com (german version) I find the sutta on parents numbered as  AN 2.34 (http://palikanon.com/angutt/a02_022-042.html#a_ii34) .
Gottfried Helms
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2017-03-26T13:43:03.597Z
Yes, this is the best answer I suppose.AN 2.32

 Why is that? Mother & father do much for their children. They care for them, they nourish them, they introduce them to this world.https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/who-are-your-mother-and-father/4710/4:https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=29249
SarathW
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2017-03-26T14:27:56.410Z
@SarathW I think your comment is a better answer than Ilya's, because you reference a sutta to help explain your answer.
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-26T09:58:23.827Z
2017-03-26T09:58:23.827Z
Ilya Grushevskiy
<p>Considering the development of embryo technology, who does Buddhist Dharma consider as your mother and father: is it the biological parents, or the legal parents?</p>

<p>The reason I ask this question is that killing your mother and father is a heinous kamma.</p>

<p>One of the monks said that heinous kamma is applicable only for biological mother and the father (i.e. donors of the sperm and the egg). Is this so, and why?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-25T23:23:55.433Z
The reason I ask this question was killing your mother and father is a heinous kamma.
SarathW
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-26T00:51:56.187Z
One of the monk said heinous kamma is applicable only for biological mother and the father. ie (donor of sperm and the egg)
SarathW
<theravada>
Who are your mother and father?
# Who are your mother and father?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-03-25)

Considering the development of embryo technology, who does Buddhist Dharma consider as your mother and father: is it the biological parents, or the legal parents?

The reason I ask this question is that killing your mother and father is a heinous kamma.

One of the monks said that heinous kamma is applicable only for biological mother and the father (i.e. donors of the sperm and the egg). Is this so, and why?

**Tags:** theravada

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: The reason I ask this question was killing your mother and father is a heinous kamma.  
> **username_0**: One of the monk said heinous kamma is applicable only for biological mother and the father. ie (donor of sperm and the egg)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-03-26. Score: 3

I suppose you can separate mother and father into those of nature and those of nurture. Whoever provides the genetic code becomes the natural parent, whoever raises the kid becomes the nurturing parent. I wouldn't place much value on the code though - the seriousness of the act of killing a parent is probably more tied to the fact that they have devoted a large fraction of their lives to the rasing of a child.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Yes, this is the best answer I suppose.AN 2.32   Why is that? Mother & father do much for their children. They care for them, they nourish them, they introduce them to this world.https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/who-are-your-mother-and-father/4710/4:https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=29249  
> **username_3**: @username_0 I think your comment is a better answer than Ilya's, because you reference a sutta to help explain your answer.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 In palikanon.com (german version) I find the sutta on parents numbered as  AN 2.34 (http://palikanon.com/angutt/a02_022-042.html#a_ii34) .  

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