07-03-2017, 06:37 AM
Different attitudes to psychic powers are represented in this old story:
Once a monk approached the Buddha and stated that he had been meditating for over 30 years.
The Buddha asked, "what have you learned?"
The monk replied, "I have mastered the advanced states of meditation and now I can walk on water." The monk proceeded to walk on water across a lake and then back.
The Buddha said, "Is there a boat that can take you across?" The monk said, "yes." The Buddha asked, "what is the cost to take the boat to the other side?" "One-and-a-half cents" replied the monk.
The Buddha replied, "Then the value of your miracles is one-and-a-half cents."
The Buddha continued, "you could have taken a boat across for one-and-a-half cents to the other side and spent your time developing vipassana [insight] instead; and by now you would have been enlightened."
Once a monk approached the Buddha and stated that he had been meditating for over 30 years.
The Buddha asked, "what have you learned?"
The monk replied, "I have mastered the advanced states of meditation and now I can walk on water." The monk proceeded to walk on water across a lake and then back.
The Buddha said, "Is there a boat that can take you across?" The monk said, "yes." The Buddha asked, "what is the cost to take the boat to the other side?" "One-and-a-half cents" replied the monk.
The Buddha replied, "Then the value of your miracles is one-and-a-half cents."
The Buddha continued, "you could have taken a boat across for one-and-a-half cents to the other side and spent your time developing vipassana [insight] instead; and by now you would have been enlightened."
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