The impediments to concentration vs insight

Meditation
1

vism iii56> Iddhīti pothujjanikā iddhi.

Sā hi uttānaseyyakadārako viya taruṇasassaṃ viya ca dupparihārā hoti.
Appamattakeneva bhijjati.
Sā pana vipassanāya palibodho hoti, na samādhissa, samādhiṃ patvā pattabbato.
Tasmā vipassanatthikena iddhipalibodho upacchinditabbo, itarena avasesāti ayaṃ tāva palibodhakathāya vitthāro

    1. Supernormal powers are the supernormal powers of the ordinary man.
      They are hard to maintain, like a prone infant or like young corn,

and the slightest thing breaks them.
But they are an impediment for insight, not for concentration, since they are obtainable through concentration.

Tasmā vipassanatthikena iddhipalibodho upacchinditabbo, itarena avasesāti ayaṃ tāva palibodhakathāya vitthāro.
So the supernormal powers are an impediment that should be severed by one who seeks insight; the others are impediments to be severed by one who seeks concentration. This, in the first place, is the detailed explanation of the impediments.

The Visuddhimagga explains that the vism iii29 > he should sever any of the ten impediments that he may have.

A dwelling, family, and gain, A class, and building too as
fifth, And travel, kin, affliction, books, And supernormal powers: ten.

This can help us see the different ways of insight and samatha.

So the supernormal powers are an impediment that should be severed by one who seeks insight; the others are impediments to be severed by one who seeks concentration. This, in the first place, is the detailed explanation of the impediments

2

Does this just mean we have to sever the attachment to supernormal powers? I think it’s still fine to practice one’s supernormal powers if they have them. I read before that the Bodhisatta in one of his past lives reached some level of vipassana and he still had supernormal powers.

3

For those who develop samatha it is not an impediment as Iddhi are a result of samatha. But all the other nine: the “A dwelling, family, and gain, A class, and building too as fifth, And travel, kin, affliction, books” are impediments.

However, for the one who is developing vipassana it is reversed - as the way of insight can be developed even in the midst of all these nine.
Why then is it indicated that only the iddhi are impediments to vipassana - possibly because of their extreme fragility. One would have to be so careful to maintain them, it distracts from the main goal.

In any event this passage shows the difference in the way of vipassana and the way of samatha.

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4

That makes sense. Supernormal powers do seem like something that one would need to constantly maintain. The Visuddhimagga mentions 14 ways of training the mind for supernormal powers. My guess is one would need to constantly practice them in all bodily postures nearly 24/7 to attain and maintain supernormal powers, leaving little to no time for practicing Vipassana.

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5

As concentration is developed, some degree of supernormal power emerges, it is not a matter of choice.