Do We Need Magic?

  During the Surangama Sutra discussion group, I had a question, and that is: when a mind is truly aware and cultivating equanimity toward all situations, is it really necessary to use magic to influence things? The reason I ask this question is that the Sutra is describing in some detail how reciting a particular mantra, the Surangama Mantra, will eradicate all kinds of obstructions and lead a person to accomplish her or his wishes. I wondered, if a person reaches the point of no longer 'wishing' anything for herself, is magical power even necessary at that point? Or is 'magic' really just a way of thinking that is reserved for unenlightened beings, similar to Arthur Clarke's observation that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic?" And here is my other question: does the true understanding of something (or everything) make things less magical? What if all beings in the universe had exactly the same kinds of powers. At that point, would there be any need to be impressed by magic, let alone 'believe in' magical things?
    I tend to be less inclined to follow the esoteric path, which stresses magical abilities and rituals. The reason is that I think 'magic' tends to be a relative view. As I suggested above, things only appear magical either because there are no known explanations for it, or it is new...or if only certain people have access to the power. Arthur Koestler talks a lot about this in his book, Lotus and the Robot, where he chronicles some of the magical powers that people in India witness in yogis and gurus. Examples would include levitating, walking on water, etc. My mundane observation is: truly, if everyone had access to such a power, would it seem magical? It might seem strange ad unexplainable, but it's doubtful if a well-known or familiar process would be deemed magic just because there is no (known) causal explanation for it.
   But from the Buddhist view, would having magical powers be wonderful? I am sure that there are beings who have had to tap into latent psychic energies to save others in dire situations, and this would be an act of compassion. However, this is quite different from equating magic with a kind of intelligence or wisdom power. Even though I have heard of teachers performing incredible feats, I doubt that I could ever equate magic with wisdom. This is especially true in cases where the teacher prides her or himself on having magical abilities. Wisdom isn't necessarily about showing one's psychic power so much as knowing when or when not to use such powers.
    But, to return to my original topic, 'Do We Need Magic?', I believe that it's exactly when a person lets go of being awed by magic that the world itself becomes 'magic'. It sounds strange, but my thinking is that people normally evoke magic when they need security of some kind, such as through more material things or escaping painful situations. But no matter how much magic is used to obtain what we want and avoid what we don't , the pattern is still following the same samsara which got us into this world in the first place. In fact, magic only reinforces the mind's tendency to seek greater influence over other beings, as though there were a self in charge of everything that happens around it. On the other hand, when one has truly let go of wanting good results and getting rid of 'negative' ones, the world suddenly becomes everyday magic. That is, everything starts to go 'my way' because there is no longer a 'my' anymore, and all the options start to look like the true mind.