Expert: John Willemsens aka Advayavadananda - 10/2/2007

Question
QUESTION: hello i was raised a jw and longer practice, or agree with there way of thought.  my question is do buddhists believe they are the absolute right and true faith and that all others are wrong and unless your buddhist you have no hope for any future, i.e. heaven, reincarnation, you know whatever the belief may be? and do you think yogananda was able to communicate with the spirit realm, or was 'enlightened' and what does enlightenment really mean?

ANSWER: Hello Nathan,
The question we must pose ourselves first is whether we believe in a god out there somewhere. If your answer to this question is no it will be the first step you set on the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path. To continue along the Path see further the Advayavada Study Plan on http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm#plan
Kind regards,
Advayavadananda.

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QUESTION: thats great i do believe in god or a higher power, but you didnt answer my question at all!

Answer
Hello Nathan,
Please bear in mind that I speak for Advayavada Buddhism only. Advayavada Buddhism is a secular philosophy and way of life, not a faith. Did you have a look at the Advayavada Study Plan? There you shall find many answers to your jumble of questions. Also the other pages of our website contain much useful information. A book you might want to read is The Way of Zen, by Alan Watts.
Kind regards,
Advayavadananda.