What if a Buddhist spontaneously developed a siddhi such as levatation but had to become a Hindu fakir due to the Buddha stating that such parlour tricks are not Buddhist at all?
Would you consider the Buddha true to his word that anyone develop a magical power should ignore it, lest he act like a fakir, profit from his magic, and thus be drawn into the egoistical world of magic?
I would say, "Levitation isn't to hard to fake. So is mind-reading and clairvoyance. The hardest trick, however, is to turn invisible, visit all of Samsara, the Buddhist heavens, and even a million Pure Lands.
If I said I visit those realms in my dream, then who dare call me 'liar'?
As a Buddhist, it would be foolish to claim to have such powers. To dream of them with attachment, and to desire to break the rules by seeking fame and fortune — these are the temptations that a Buddhist hope she shall never face.
The best I can do as a result of twenty years of meditation is analyze sutras and read body language with difficulty. One cannot even call these two skills siddhis, let alone magic.
As well, I am able to write blog articles with enough proficiency to get a plus.
That's a talent derived from writing since I was twelve years of age, but perhaps it hasn't matured.
So, is Buddhist siddhi merely magic tricks? I cannot say for sure but if a Buddhist striving to be a Bodhisattva showed such signs, then he wouldn't tell anyone and keep on meditating. Why? Because samadhi, satori and Nirvana itself are only worth attaining.
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