Overall Teaching

The Bodhisattva is brought, according to custom, to the temple to pay homage to the statues, but the statues come to life and instead pay homage to the Bodhisattva, singing his praises, declaring that he is supreme. Due to pride, gods and humans do not pay homage to the Buddha.

Summary

1.     On the evening of the Bodhisattva’s birth, thousands of girls were born among the various castes and among his family, who were offered by their parents to serve and honour the Bodhisattva.

2.     The elders of the Śākya clan declared that the prince should worship in the temple. The king agreed, and ordered that everything auspicious in the streets and temples be arranged. He also ordered that people with ailments be sent away and that brahmins who are experts in recitation be gathered.

3.     The king told Mahāprajāpati to prepare the prince. When she was preparing the prince he asked her where she was taking him, she told him to the temple. The prince, smiled, laughed, and said:

a.     When he was born the devas all paid homage to him.

b.     He asked which god is superior to him.

c.     He declared that he will, however, follow worldly customs, and when beings see his miraculous displays they will know that he is supreme over Gods.

4.     When everything had been prepared, the chariot was prepared and the prince was taken on the king’s lap to the temple as people scattered flowers and played cymbals.

5.     As soon as the prince placed his right foot in the temple all the insentient statues of Śiva, Skanda, Nārāyaṇa,[1] Kubera, Candra, Sūrya, Vaiśravaṇa, Śakra, Brahmā, and the guardians of the world stood up and prostrated at the Bodhisattva’s feet. 

6.     Then a hundred thousand gods and humans shouted in delight, and the earth quaked in six ways, divine flowers fell, and divine instruments sounded. Then the statues returned to their seats and said in verse:

a.     Mount Meru wouldn’t bow to a mustard seed. The ocean wouldn’t bow to a puddle. The sun and moon wouldn’t bow to a firefly. So why would the Buddha bow down before gods?

b.     Gods and humans are like seeds, puddles, and fireflies, full of pride. If they bow down to the Buddha, who is like Meru, the Ocean, the Sun and Moon, they will attain heaven or nirvāṇa.

7.     Thousands gods, as a result, gave rise to the aspiration to attain awakening (bodhicitta).

Apocryphal Infancy Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew

In the apocryphal gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, a similar story is told:[2]

“Chapter 22. … And rejoicing and exulting, [Joseph, Mary, and Jesus] came into the regions of Hermopolis, and entered into a certain city of Egypt which is called Sotinen; and because they knew no one there from whom they could ask hospitality, they went into a temple which was called the Capitol of Egypt. And in this temple there had been set up three hundred and fifty-five idols, to each of which on its own day divine honours and sacred rites were paid. For the Egyptians belonging to the same city entered the Capitol, in which the priests told them how many sacrifices were offered each day, according to the honour in which the god was held.

CHAP. 23.--And it came to pass, when the most blessed Mary went into the temple with the little child, that all the idols prostrated themselves on the ground, so that all of them were lying on their faces shattered and broken to pieces; and thus they plainly showed that they were nothing. Then was fulfilled that which was said by the prophet Isaiah: Behold, the Lord will come upon a swift cloud, and will enter Egypt, and all the handiwork of the Egyptians shall be moved at His presence.”

[1] Viṣṇu.

[2] http://www.gnosis.org/library/psudomat.htm