plwk, this is not related with my first question...
You wrote:
Is there any advice, on Sutras, about someone revealing or not revealing his own siddhis?
I am unsure of how much have you gone through or understood through the links that I and especially kim provided because it all points to what are siddhis, the types of siddhis, the occasions/motivation where it can be used and when not to use it and general advice on it.
...but with the text you provided from the sutras: why cannot a monk cook to himself or pound grain??
http://www.ymba.org/bns/bnsframe.htm
In general, an improper livelihood is any occupation that is contrary to the spirit of compassion toward sentient beings. Such occupations include not only traditional ones like fisherman and hunter but also working in slaughter houses or ammunition factories. In the sutras, the Buddha even forbade monks and nuns from tilling the soil, planting crops, or pressing seeds to get oil because such actions often result in the killing of small animals and insects. (Laymen, being subject to a lesser standard of morality, are not prohibited from engaging in such activities. Moreover, they may even be given the opportunity to earn merit and virtue through service to the clergy. Monks and nuns, relieved of daily chores, can then concentrate on their main calling -- practicing the Dharma for the benefit of all.)
But I still think that sometimes, showing something, could be good.
No one can stop anyone from thinking what they want to but for a serious buddhist practitioner, the Dharma & Vinaya are what is more important than what I want to think, what do you think?
For instance, in the Pure Land section of this forum, we can see that members (myself included) like to read the storys about successful rebirths on Pure Land.
Yeah, but those stories are oft full of anomalies, inconsistencies and glorified tales at times, I myself would not give it much value because none of them so far are vigorously investigated and verified by independent and credible sources other than their own fans. You do know right, that the Pure Land Path is a Bodhisattva based path that is mapped out with the stages of confidence, aspiration and practice towards the accomplishment of Supreme Buddhahood via buddhanusmrti and not about a fantasy island as some people oft misunderstand nor showing people how flexible a dead man's limbs are by waving it at a camera? What is meaningful (at least for me) from those featured videos are how fortunate that those who are dying have supportive causes and conditions for a wholesome mind approaching death and have a chance to go off peacefully and with dignity. Other than that, I cannot verify anything else.
Isnt that a kind of miracle/siddhi? Should we avoide it?
Rebirth is not a siddhi.
Also, if I start to develop, lets say, the ability to see the future on my dreams, because of Nembutsu, should I share that with other members?
First of all, how does one know that because of Nembutsu that one developed that ability? There are many reasons involved on how siddhis are developed and Nembutsu may not even be it. The power of a concentrated mind does not necessarily mean a siddhi.
Secondly, how does one show with demonstrable evidence that what one claims to 'see' is a purported vision of the future and not a result of one's own perception?
Thirdly, unless one has a worthy teacher or a community who can help discern what one experiencing, maybe it's best to keep it to oneself and not everyone wants to know either, no matter how much I assume they want to? There are consequences, right, for instance when one starts claiming to be able to fly from Italy to India without an airplane or hearing Elvis sing in some heaven than actually demonstrating it under accredited scrutiny? Has anyone been to a job interview and told the interviewer the above when describing what one's other skills are?
Wouldnt be a way to help others increase their faith?
If I wanted to do that, I would show them the proper Buddha Dharma with all of its stages of the path and fruit instead of resorting to side circus shows of rainbows, hocus pocus feats, 'now you see, now you don't and snake oil business.
Lets not forget that we live in a very skeptical world, and sometimes, some "magic" could be helpful...
The question is, without all of these 'magic', can one still do good, avoid evil and purify the mind and the answer is a resounding YES.