Special Rules for Nuns? (Ayya Tathaaloka)

Ayya Tathaaloka and the Buddhist nuns of the Alliance for Bhikkhunis (bhikkhuni.net)

Global Congress on Buddhist Women, Hamburg, Germany

Special rules for females that subordinate Buddhist nuns to monks (garudhammas or "heavy offenses") are not what they first appear to be.

American Theravada Buddhist nun Ayya Tattaaloka reveals what her research, as well as that of other Buddhist scholars, found. There appears to be no gender difference. (How could that be? We are all led to believe women are subordinate to men in the monastery).

Both monks and nuns have sanghadisesa (calling for a meeting and subsequent meeting of the Sangha) disciplinary rules, which are rather heavy.

In the same way, both males and females have "heavy offenses," that is, garudhammas.

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• Ayya Taathaloka (videos); Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly, originally compiled on 9/17/10