[AngelBee]

with regard AA and higher power, there are plenty of things a rational buddhist could label their higher power, the first to come to mind; the buddha, the dharma, or the sangha, even the emptiness or just karma. by AAs definition higher power does not necessarily mean a god or gods, anon seems to have this all wrong, a lot of AAs use a bunch of drunks as their higher power(AA itself) what's wrong with using a bunch of monks instead, seems more enlightened than drunks.

Where AA goes way off base is there crazy insistance that there is only one right way to get sober and thats AA; rubbish its just one method that works to a point, Noah levine has every right to advocate that being a buddhist cant stop you from attending AA, and finding your own higher power within buddhism, but he doesnt have the right to assert that if your an addict and buddhist, AA is the only option, just one of many, in fact I've heard of lots of programs in countries like Thailand of buddhists helping addicts, All youll get from AA is watered down very selfish version of christianity, which does not appeal to me.