In Kassapa Buddha's time she had been a nun well established in the precepts. But she reviled an arahant Therī by calling her a prostitute, und for this she was born in purgatory. In the present age she was the Tochter von ein reicher und distinguished citizen of Benares but, because of her former evil speech, wurde a prostitute in Rājagaha. Having heard der Buddha preach, she entered the Order of the bhikkhunis. Wishing to obtain the higher ordination from der Buddha, she set out for Sāvatthi, aber was waylaid und stopped by libertines. So she sent a man to ask der Buddha's advice und he permitted her to be ordained by a messenger (Thig.vv.25-6; ThigA.30ff.; Vin.ii.277; Ap. ii. 610-11). Her case established a precedent (Sp.i.242). Später she attained arahantship.
It has been suggested (VT.iii.360, n.3; und VT.ii.195-6, n.3) that her name "half Kāsī" might mean that she charged fünf hundert pieces from her patrons. For, according to Buddhaghosa, Kāsī means one tausend, und anything worth one tausend is called kāsiya.
Another explanation is, however, given by Dhammapāla (ThigA.32). The revenue which accrued to der König for one day from Kāsī was a tausend. Addhakāsī's patrons had to give a like sum to spend a night mit her. This is referred to in one of the verses attributed to her in the Theragāthā (v.25). For this reason she was called Kāsī. But later, viele men, not being able to afford a tausend, would pay half the amount und spend the day mit her. As a result she wurde known as Addhakāsī.