Eight added rules for nuns are untrue

Ayya Tathālokā: Venerable Bhikkhunī Tathālokā Mahātherī is an American-born Theravada Buddhist nun (bhikkhunī), scholar, and teacher.

She is the co-founder of the Dhammadharini monastic community in California, which includes Dhammadharini Monastery [Nunnery, Abbey, Hermitage] (formerly Dhammadharini Vihara), and Aranya Bodhi Hermitage [1].

She was the recipient of the 2006 Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award, a presenting scholar at the 2007 International Congress on Buddhist Women's Role in the Sangha, and was appointed preceptor for the historically-significant 2009 Bhikkhuni Ordination held in Perth, Australia [2, 3].

Early life

Born Heather Buske in Washington, D.C., in 1968, Ven. Tathālokā’s parents encouraged her to develop the skills necessary to look for what is true. She had early exposure to the texts of the Pali canon and was inspired by reading about the bhikkhunīs at the time of the historical Buddha. At the age of 19, she left college to pursue monastic life in Europe then in India... More:

• Tathālokā Bhikkhunī (Biography Ayya Tathaloka | Dhammadharini)
• Bhikkhunīs at the time of the Buddha
• Non-Historicity of the Eight Additional Monastic Rules for Women (alokavihara.org)

• Present Magazine (Alliance for Bhikkhunis)
• The Great Inquiry Interview with Venerable Ayya Tathaaloka by Jacqueline Kramer