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Ācāmadāyikā

A family in Rājagaha was afflicted with plague and all its members died except one woman. She broke through a wall (that being the customary method of avoiding infection) and went and lived in the backyard of another house. The inmates of the house, having compassion on her, gave her the remnants of their food.

One day, Mahā-Kassapa, rising after seven days and nights from nirodha-samāpatti, knowing that he could be of use to the poor woman, appeared before her asking for alms. Having nothing but rice-water to give him, she asked him to go elsewhere, but the elder showed his desire to accept her gift and refused alms offered to him by Sakka and by the inmates of the house behind which the woman lived.

With great joy she gave him the rice-water, and the elder then told her that three births earlier she had been his mother. That same night she died and was born in a mansion (vimāna) among the Nimmānaratī gods.

Her story forms the basis of the Ācāmadāyikā Vimānavatthu. Vv. p.17; VvA.99 ff.