Originally posted by despondent:
hello i am back wif more qns...
1) from buddhism perspective, who will go to heaven?
Welcome back 
One who has accumulated lots of virtuous karma -- by practising the
5 precepts, 10 virtuous deeds, filiality to parents, generosity,
etc. These are the ways to create the karmic causes for rebirth in
celestial realms. However, heaven is not nirvana and is not the
ultimate aim of Buddhists.
The Five Precepts are to refrain from killing, stealing, lying,
sexual misconduct, consumption of intoxicants, and the Ten Virtuous
Deeds are to refrain from killing, stealing, lying, sexual
misconduct, frivolous and meaningless talk, tale bearing, abusive
speech, covetousness, ill-will, perverted views.
2) is there a known number of rebirth cycles b4 someone reaches
eternity(nirvana or eternal condemnation in hell)?
Certainly, anyone is able to, and eventually will, attain
Nirvana but there is no fixed date and time. If one earnestly
learns and practises the dharma, then one can attain enlightenment,
nirvana, quickly.
There is no eternal condemnation in hell, because hell is part of
the 6 realms of samsara. Nothing is eternal, everlasting in these
mundane realms. Although if one may commit extremely heavy karma as
to fall into hell for billions of years, at one point his karma
will be exhausted and will be able to reborn in other realms.
3) does buddhism teach evolution at all? i have met buddhists
who tell me man came from monkeys...
Personally I don't think that humans came from monkeys, but I do
not reject evolution. You may want to read the URL I provided
earlier.
4) who wrote the buddhist scriptures? was it buddha himself?
Ananda, the one who has the best memory among all of Buddha's
disciples, remembered all the things that Buddha said, and recited
it among an assembly of 500 other disciples of the Buddha who were
enlightened. This took place shortly after Buddha entered
Parinirvana/passed away. It is not written by the Buddha
himself.
5) wad r the criterias one muz meet to be considered a
buddhist?
One must take refuge in the Three Treasures/Triple Gems: Buddha,
Dharma, Sangha. All Buddhist monasteries/dharma centers do have
such taking refuge ceremonies, just as all churches will have
baptism taking place from time to time.
