Dighanikaya 24.4

24.4

Uttarimanussadhammāti pañcasīladasasīlasaṅkhātā manussadhammāuttari. Iddhipāṭihāriyanti iddhibhūtaṃ pāṭihāriyaṃ. Kate vāti katamhi vā. Yassatthāyāti yassa dukkhakkhayassa atthāya. So niyyāti takkarassāti so dhammo takkarassa yathā mayā dhammo desito, tathā kārakassa sammā paṭipannassa puggalassa sabbavaṭṭadukkhakkhayāya amatanibbānasacchikiriyāya gacchati, na gacchati, saṃvattati, na saṃvattatīti pucchati. Tatra sunakkhattāti tasmiṃ sunakkhatta mayā desite dhamme takkarassa sammā dukkhakkhayāya saṃvattamāne kiṃ uttarimanussadhammā iddhipāṭihāriyaṃ kataṃ karissati, ko tena katena attho. Tasmiñhi katepi akatepi mama sāsanassa parihāni natthi, devamanussānañhi amatanibbānasampāpanatthāya ahaṃ pāramiyo pūresiṃ, na pāṭihāriyakaraṇatthāyāti pāṭihāriyassa niratthakataṃ dassetvā ‘‘passa, moghapurisā’’ti dutiyaṃ dosaṃ āropesi.

“A superhuman state”: that which is beyond human qualities consisting of the five precepts and the ten precepts. “A miracle of psychic power”: a miracle consisting of psychic power. “Or when it is done”: or when it has been performed. “For the sake of which”: for the sake of which destruction of suffering. “Does it lead out for one who acts accordingly?”: does that Dhamma lead, does it not lead, does it conduce, does it not conduce to the destruction of all suffering of the round [of rebirth], to the realization of the deathless Nibbāna, for one who acts accordingly, for a person who has practiced rightly, doing just as the Dhamma was taught by me?—this is what he asks. “Therein, Sunakkhatta”: in that matter, Sunakkhatta, when the Dhamma taught by me conduces to the right destruction of suffering for one who acts accordingly, what will a miracle of psychic power consisting of a superhuman state accomplish when performed? What is the purpose of it being performed? For whether it is performed or not performed, there is no decline of my Dispensation; for in order to cause devas and humans to attain the deathless Nibbāna I fulfilled the perfections, not for the sake of performing miracles—thus showing the uselessness of a miracle, he attributed the second offense [to him], saying, “See, foolish man.”