We all know about heredity.  The genes our parents pass on to us determine our hair color, eye color and many other physical attributes.  What about our spiritual side?  Is there spiritual heredity also?  The answer is yes.
    Even though our spiritual leanings may be very different from our parents, nonetheless, the strength and development level of their spiritual side had a significant effect on what our spirit was like when we were born.  After that, we are free to make our spirit stronger or weaker, to awaken it more or let it sink into a kind of coma but still, where our parents were spiritually can be an advantage or disadvantage to us when we are ready to develop our own spirit.  This is why the ancient mystical or Gnostic schools were so interested in tracing the heredity of students.  They were not interested in physical traits, but in the spiritual potential passed on to them by their ancestors.