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An arahant. He belonged to a poor family
of Sāvatthi, where he went about in rags, pan in hand, seeking for rice grains (kura),
hence his name ("Rags and Rice"). Later he sold grass for a living. One day,
having heard a monk preach, he entered the Order, leaving his rags in a certain
place; seven times disaffection grew within him, and each time he took up his
rags and put them on. When the Buddha heard of this he admonished the monk
severely, and the latter, greatly disturbed, developed insight and became an
arahant.
In the time of Vipassī Buddha he was a
householder, and offered the Buddha a few ketakī-flowers on the banks of the
river Vinatā (Thag.199f.; ThagA.i.320ff). He is probably identical with
Ketakapupphiya of the Apadāna. Ap.ii.449.

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