Stories on Sariputta Psychic Abilities and Rebirth. Looking for its Original Source?

Thanks @Amatabhani and @Dhammanando for your answers.

Yeah, I was shocked too when I saw contradictory accounts that Sāriputta could “Walk on Water” and had “Divine Eye.” Which was why I wanted to clarify. But I guess you could still consider “Formless Attainments” (MN111) and “Invulnerability” ( Ud 4.4) as Sāriputta having some sort of psychic, paranormal, supernatural, or superhuman ability and mastery that most normal people wouldn’t be able to do so.

@Dhammanando

  1. Wow, thanks didn’t know it came from the Chinese versions of the Dharmapada. But I wonder why Paul Carus didn’t just quote it word-for-word, wouldn’t it be much less confusing, convoluted, and slanderous to claim it was Buddha’s mind-made image rather than Sāriputta?

  2. I found another much closer account for Ajahn Lee’s story, “The Renegade Monk” in the Dhammapada Atthakathā for Verse 344, except it is about Maha Kassapa and his pupil, the Buddha got involved, there was no Divine Eye (it was not specified if the pupil used Mindfulness of Breathing to get into Fourth Jhana, or if he had any injuries and got self-regenerated), and at the end the pupil did attain Arahantship. - Buddhist Legends, XXIV. 3. The Renegade Monk

  3. Yes, I have heard about story of “the Young Sow” before as well. Either there was really another version on Sakka and cows grazing the pasture (could be official, could be a Chinese/Tibetan version, or some modern modification), or probably misinformation effect where my memory is just playing tricks on my mind.

I have to point out a different but relevant issue: similarities and differences is insufficient to determine authenticity…
Some stories could be similar but may be of different origin, place, and context. For example, the recent story of Anathapindika and his friend ‘Curse,’ happened to Buddha and Ananda as well in one of their past lives ( Kalakanni Jātaka, 83). Or the cult worship of Sun and Moon around different world civilisations, don’t necessarily need to be influenced by each other, or begotten by some universal God, but they might simply find planetary bodies to be fascinating, magnificent, and otherworldly, can bestow some kind of miracle, therefore deserved to be worshipped. Some stories could differ but may be of similar origin, place, and context. For example, MN 31 and MN 128 differ slightly in details on the success of their meditation by Anuruddha and friends, maybe because of different perspectives? Or not to say between Abrahamic Faiths, even within the same parent religion, different sects and branches could have vastly different stories and interpretations of the same event. (Though don’t take my word for it, but someone like Bhante Sujato, Bhikkhu Bodhi, and Bhikkhu Anālayo probably has more credibility on this topic.)

Therefore, if anyone else knows any other sources of the three stories, please feel free to comment, as I’m still open to more answers, before marking Dhammanando answer as the solution.

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