I’ve been thinking about that sutta(s) a lot lately, and I can’t for the life of me remember where I read it!
Do you mean this?
DN24:1.4.1-18:
‘But sir, the Buddha never performs any superhuman demonstrations of psychic power for me.’‘But Sunakkhatta, did I ever say to you: “Come, live dedicated to me and I will perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power for you”?’
‘No, sir.’
‘Or did you ever say to me: “Sir, I shall live dedicated to the Buddha, and the Buddha will perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power for me”?’
‘No, sir.’
‘So it seems that I did not ask this of you, and you did not require it of me. In that case, you silly man, who are you and what are you rejecting?
What do you think, Sunakkhatta? Whether or not there is a demonstration of psychic power, does my teaching lead someone who practices it to the goal of the complete ending of suffering?’
‘It does, sir.’
‘So it seems that whether or not there is a demonstration of psychic power, my teaching leads someone who practices it to the goal of the complete ending of suffering. In that case, what is the point of superhuman demonstrations of psychic power? See how far you have strayed, you silly man!’
And there’s even a better one:
DN11:1.3–3.10:
Then the householder Kevaḍḍha went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,“Sir, this Nāḷandā is successful and prosperous, populous, full of people.
Please direct a mendicant to perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power. Then Nāḷandā will become even more devoted to the Buddha!”When he said this, the Buddha said,
“Kevaḍḍha, I do not teach Dhamma to the mendicants like this: ‘Come now, mendicants, perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power for the white-clothed laypeople.’”
For a second time, Kevaḍḍha made the same request, “Sir, I am not teaching you the Dhamma, but nonetheless I say: ‘Sir, this Nāḷandā is successful and prosperous, populous, full of people. Please direct a mendicant to perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power. Then Nāḷandā will become even more devoted to the Buddha!’”
But for a second time, the Buddha gave the same answer.
For a third time, Kevaḍḍha made the same request, at which the Buddha said the following.
“Kevaḍḍha, there are three kinds of demonstration, which I declare having realized them with my own insight. What three?
The demonstration of psychic power, the demonstration of revealing, and the demonstration of instruction. …
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Should be : It doesn’t, sir.
Why? I think it is correct.
Sunakkhatta agrees that the Buddha’s teaching leads to the ending of suffering, but nevertheless he insists on being shown some demonstration of psychic power.
Note the words:
“someone who practices it“ …… isn’t this referring to the practice of psychic power ?
…. hence it doesn’t as it doesn’t lead to the goal of the complete ending of suffering.
As it is the case, what further good is the point of the demonstration of psychic power ?
Isn’t this the real message / meaning of the text ?
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Well, “my teaching” leads someone who practices it to the goal of the complete ending of suffering—that’s how I understand it. And Sunakkhatta agrees this is the case. But nevertheless, he is obviously more interested in seeing some feat of psychic power than in the ending of suffering; which is probably why the Buddha calls him a “silly man”.
The referent of “(practice) it” is “my teaching” not “psychic powers.”