I found this in the commentary to the Khuddhakavatthukkhandhaka.
Iddhipāṭihāriyanti ettha vikubbaniddhipāṭihāriyaṃ paṭikkhittaṃ, adhiṭṭhāniddhi pana appaṭikkhittāti
“Here, in the phrase ‘iddhi-pāṭihāriya’ (a miracle by supernormal power), the miracle of transformative supernormal power (vikubban-iddhi-pāṭihāriya) is prohibited/rejected; but supernormal power by determination (adhiṭṭhāna-iddhi) is not prohibited—this should be understood.”
Word-by-word gloss:
- Iddhipāṭihāriyanti = “(as to) ‘a miracle by iddhi’”
- ettha = “here”
- vikubbaniddhipāṭihāriyaṃ = “the miracle of transformation (vikubbana-iddhi)”
- paṭikkhittaṃ = “is rejected / forbidden”
- adhiṭṭhāniddhi pana = “but determination-iddhi”
- appaṭikkhittā = “is not rejected / not forbidden”
- ti veditabbā = “thus it should be understood”
- ti veditabbā = should be understood thus
Transformation miracle (vikubbaniddhi) is prohibited; determination miracle (adhiṭṭhāna-iddhi) is not prohibited.
We can see what transformation miracles and determination miracles are in the commentary to the Buddhavamsa.
“Naruttama” means the highest among men, the best, the foremost, the supreme among people or rulers.
“Iddhibala” (power of supernormal ability): here, “iddhi” means success or accomplishment — in the sense of fulfillment or attainment. Or alternatively, beings grow, prosper, and excel by means of it; therefore it is called “iddhi.” This iddhi is of ten kinds.
As it is said: “There are ten kinds of iddhi. What ten?
Determination-iddhi, transformation-iddhi, mind-made iddhi, knowledge-expansion iddhi, concentration-expansion iddhi, noble iddhi, kamma-result iddhi, merit-produced iddhi, knowledge-based iddhi, and iddhi arising from proper application in various situations.”Their distinctions are as follows: ordinarily one person reflects upon becoming many — a hundred or a thousand — and determines through knowledge, “May I become many.” Since this iddhi is accomplished by determination, it is called determination-iddhi.
Its meaning is this: having entered the fourth jhāna that serves as the basis for supernormal knowledge, and emerging from it, if he wishes to become a hundred, he performs preparatory acts with sense-sphere consciousness thinking “May I be a hundred.” Then he re-enters the jhāna; emerging again, he reflects and determines. At the very moment of determination, he becomes a hundred simultaneously.
The same method applies for a thousand and so on.
When one abandons one’s natural appearance and displays the form of a youth, or the form of a nāga, or the form of a garuḷa, or even various formations of armies — since this operates by altering one’s natural form, it is called transformative iddhi (vikubbana-iddhi).
“When a monk creates from this body another body — material, mind-made, complete in all limbs and faculties” — since this iddhi operates by producing another mind-made body within this very body, it is called mind-made iddhi (manomaya-iddhi).
What is noble iddhi? Here, if a monk wishes, “May I dwell perceiving the unrepulsive in what is repulsive,” he dwells perceiving it as not repulsive. Or if he wishes to dwell perceiving the repulsive in what is not repulsive, he does so… he dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending. Since this is possible only for noble ones who have mastery over the mind, it is called noble iddhi.
What is iddhi born of kamma-result? The ability of all birds, all devas, certain early humans, and some beings in lower realms to travel through the air — this is iddhi arising from kamma.
What is iddhi of one possessed of merit? A universal monarch traveling through the air together with his fourfold army… these are powers arising from accumulated merit.
What is knowledge-based iddhi? Those who possess mystical knowledge recite their spells and travel through the air, display elephants in the sky, or show various army formations. Such powers are called knowledge-produced iddhi.
The strength of these ten kinds of iddhi is called iddhibala — the power of supernormal accomplishment.
Naruttamoti narānaṃ naresu vā uttamo pavaro seṭṭhoti naruttamo. Iddhibalanti ettha ijjhanaṃ iddhi nipphattiatthena paṭilābhaṭṭhena ca iddhi. Atha vā ijjhanti tāya sattā iddhā vuddhā ukkaṃsagatā hontīti iddhi. Sā pana dasavidhā hoti. Yathāha – ‘‘Iddhiyoti dasa iddhiyo. Katamā dasa? Adhiṭṭhānā iddhi, vikubbanā iddhi, manomayā iddhi, ñāṇavipphārā iddhi, samādhivipphārā iddhi, ariyā iddhi, kammavipākajā iddhi, puññavato iddhi, vijjāmayā iddhi, tattha tattha sammāpayogapaccayā ijjhanaṭṭhena iddhī’’ti (paṭi. ma. 3.10). Tāsaṃ idaṃ nānattaṃ – pakatiyā eko bahukaṃ āvajjeti, sataṃ vā sahassaṃ vā āvajjitvā ñāṇena adhiṭṭhāti ‘‘bahuko homī’’ti (paṭi. ma. 3.10) evaṃ vibhajitvā dassitā iddhi adhiṭṭhānavasena nipphannattā adhiṭṭhānā iddhi nāma. Tassāyamattho – abhiññāpādakaṃ catutthajjhānaṃ samāpajjitvā tato vuṭṭhāya sace sataṃ icchati ‘‘sataṃ homi, sataṃ homī’’ti kāmāvacaraparikammacittehi parikammaṃ katvā puna abhiññāpādakaṃ jhānaṃ samāpajjitvā tato vuṭṭhāya puna āvajjitvā adhiṭṭhāti, adhiṭṭhānacittena saheva sataṃ hoti. Sahassādīsupi eseva nayo. Tattha pādakajjhānacittaṃ nimittārammaṇaṃ parikammacittāni satārammaṇāni vā sahassādīsu aññatarārammaṇāni vā, tāni ca kho vaṇṇavasena, no paṇṇattivasena. Adhiṭṭhānacittampi satārammaṇameva, taṃ pana appanācittaṃ viya gotrabhuanantarameva uppajjati rūpāvacaracatutthajhānikaṃ . So pana pakativaṇṇaṃ vijahitvā kumāravaṇṇaṃ vā dasseti nāgavaṇṇaṃ vā dasseti. Supaṇṇavaṇṇaṃ vā…pe… vividhampi senābyūhaṃ vā dassetīti (paṭi. ma. 3.13) evaṃ āgatā iddhi pakativaṇṇavijahanavikāravasena pavattattā vikubbaniddhi nāma. ‘‘Idha bhikkhu imamhā kāyā aññaṃ kāyaṃ abhinimmināti rūpiṃ manomayaṃ sabbaṅgapaccaṅgiṃ ahīnindriya’’nti (paṭi. ma. 3.14) iminā nayena āgatā iddhi sarīrasseva abbhantare aññassa manomayassa sarīrassa nipphattivasena pavattattā manomayiddhi nāma. Ñāṇuppattito pubbe vā pacchā vā taṅkhaṇe vā tena attabhāvena paṭilabhitabbaarahattañāṇānubhāvena nibbatto viseso ñāṇavipphāro iddhi nāma. Āyasmato bākulassa ca āyasmato saṃkiccassa ca ñāṇavipphārā iddhi, tesaṃ vatthu cettha kathetabbaṃ (a. ni. aṭṭha. 1.1.226). Samādhito pubbe vā pacchā vā taṅkhaṇe vā samathānubhāvena nibbatto viseso samādhivipphārā iddhi nāma. Āyasmato sāriputtassa samādhivipphārā iddhi (udā. 34), āyasmato sañjīvassa samādhivipphārā iddhi (ma. ni. 1.507), āyasmato khāṇukoṇḍaññassa samādhivipphārā iddhi (dha. pa. aṭṭha. 1.khāṇukoṇḍaññattheravatthu), uttarāya upāsikāya samādhivipphārā iddhi (dha. pa. aṭṭha. 2.uttarāupāsikāvatthu; a. ni. aṭṭha. 1.1.262), sāmāvatiyā upāsikāya samādhivipphārā iddhīti (dha. pa. aṭṭha. 1.sāmāvatīvatthu; a. ni. aṭṭha. 1.1.260-261) tesaṃ vatthūnettha kathetabbāni, ganthavitthāradosaparihāratthaṃ pana mayā na vitthāritāni. Katamā ariyā iddhi? Idha bhikkhu sace ākaṅkhati ‘‘paṭikkūle appaṭikkūlasaññī vihareyya’’nti appaṭikkūlasaññī tattha viharati, sace ākaṅkhati ‘‘appaṭikkūle paṭikkūlasaññī vihareyya’’nti paṭikkūlasaññī tattha viharati…pe… upekkhako tattha viharati sato sampajānoti (paṭi. ma. 3.17). Ayañhi cetovasippattānaṃ ariyānaṃyeva sambhavato ariyā iddhi nāma. Katamā kammavipākajā iddhi? Sabbesaṃ pakkhīnaṃ sabbesaṃ devānaṃ paṭhamakappikānaṃ manussānaṃ ekaccānañca vinipātikānaṃ vehāsagamanādikā kammavipākajā iddhi nāma. Katamā puññavato iddhi? Rājā cakkavattī vehāsaṃ gacchati saddhiṃ caturaṅginiyā senāya. Jaṭilakassa gahapatissa asītihattho suvaṇṇapabbato nibbatti. Ayaṃ puññavato iddhi nāma. Ghosakassa gahapatino (dha. pa. aṭṭha. 1.kumbhaghosakaseṭṭhivatthu) sattasu ṭhānesu māraṇatthāya upakkame katepi arogabhāvo puññavato iddhi. Meṇḍakaseṭṭhissa (dha. pa. aṭṭha. 2.meṇḍakaseṭṭhivatthu) aṭṭhakarīsamatte padese sattaratanamayānaṃ meṇḍakānaṃ pātubhāvo puññavato iddhi. Katamā vijjāmayā iddhi? Vijjādharā vijjaṃ parijappitvā vehāsaṃ gacchanti, ākāse antalikkhe hatthimpi dassenti…pe… vividhampi senābyūhaṃ dassentīti (paṭi. ma. 3.18). Ādinayappavattā vijjāmayā iddhi nāma. Taṃ taṃ kammaṃ katvā nibbatto viseso ‘sammāpayogapaccayā ijjhanaṭṭhena iddhī’ti ayaṃ tattha tattha sammāpayogapaccayā ijjhanaṭṭhena iddhi nāma. Imissā dasavidhāya iddhiyā balaṃ iddhibalaṃ nāma, idaṃ mayhaṃ iddhibalaṃ na jānantīti attho (visuddhi. 2.375 ādayo).
So based on what I shared above, can monks sit in the air while preaching the Dhamma? Is flying also a determination-iddhi? It’s not a transformative iddhi because one doesn’t change one’s appearance. Flying through the air is achieved by determination.
Visuddhimagga
Seated cross-legged he travels: he goes seated cross-legged. Like a winged
bird: like a bird furnished with wings. One who wants to do this should attain
the earth kasióa and emerge. [397] Then if he wants to go cross-legged, he
should do the preliminary work and determine an area the size of a seat for
sitting cross-legged on, and he should resolve in the way already described. If
he wants to go lying down, he determines an area the size of a bed. If he wants
to go on foot, he determines a suitable area the size of a path, and he resolves in
the way already described: “Let it be earth.” Simultaneously with the resolve it
becomes earth.
99. Here is the text: “‘Seated cross-legged he travels in space like a winged
bird’: he is normally an obtainer of the earth-kasióa attainment. He adverts to
space. Having adverted, he resolves with knowledge: ‘Let there be earth.’ There
is earth. He travels (walks), stands, sits, and lies down in space, in the sky. Just as
men normally not possessed of supernormal power travel (walk), stand, sit, and
lie down on earth, so this possessor of supernormal power, by his attaining of
mental mastery, travels (walks), stands, sits, and lies down in space, in the sky”
(Paþis II 208).
100. And a bhikkhu who wants to travel in space should be an obtainer of the
divine eye. Why? On the way there may be mountains, trees, etc., that are
temperature-originated, or jealous nágas, supannas, etc., may create them. He
will need to be able to see these. But what should be done on seeing them? He
should attain the basic jhána and emerge, and then he should do the preliminary
work thus, “Let there be space,” and resolve.
In any case, I think a monk should not display psychic power for a bowl, but if he simply sits in the air and preaches the Dhamma, it might be a different story.
I’ve cited passages from the commentary to the Khuddakavatthukandhaka and Buddhamvamsa in the previous post above this one. The information can be found there. In short, miracle of transformative supernormal power (vikubban-iddhi-pāṭihāriya) is prohibited/rejected ; but supernormal power by determination (adhiṭṭhāna-iddhi) is not prohibited. The commentary to the Buddhavamsa tells us what these are. Vikubban-iddhi-pathariya is transformation like transforming into a young boy, a naga, etc. I personally think flying/walking/sitting in the air is determination iddhi(adhitthana-iddhi). If one sits in the air while preaching the Dhamma, it might not be blameworthy, but if one shows any kind of iddhi for a bowl or for fame or gain, it should be blameworthy.
It is a pācittiya offense to display psychic powers to lay people.