# Shakyamuni Emerging from the Mountains

- Date: 1244
- Medium: hanging scroll; ink on paper
- Classification: Painting
- Dimensions: Painting: 70.7 x 30.3 cm (27 13/16 x 11 15/16 in.); Overall with knobs: 166.4 x 49.9 cm (65 1/2 x 19 5/8 in.)
- Culture: China, Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279)
- Credit line: John L. Severance Fund
- Museum: [Cleveland Museum of Art](https://clevelandart.org/art/1970.2)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/cma/1970.2/1970.2_web.jpg
- Who can see it: Little Ones profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Shakyamuni emerged from the mountains after years of ascetic practices, which anticipated his sermon in Deer Park and attainment of enlightenment under the bodhi tree. However, this figure of Shakyamuni can be interpreted as having already achieved enlightenment and reentered the earthly world to spread the dharma (Buddhist law). Chijue Daoching’s inscription mentions his indifferent glance at the morning star, suggesting nonattachment:

Entering the mountains he was much too thin and withered. The snow is overlaid with frost—it is cold. Casting an indifferent glance, he saw a \[morning\] star. Why should he once again emerge among the world of men.