According to Chinese legend, during the T'ang dynasty there were two enlightened holy mee from the sacred Buddhist area of T'ien T'ai mountain, Shih Te and Han Shan.
「纖塵掃卻任風顛，叫嘯松雲不記年；國清不與豐乾遇，誰識前身是普賢」，畫中作者自題的詩句，和詩堂上乾隆御筆斗大的「何處覓」三字，點出了拾得的故事：這位赤足憨笑的拾得，與寒山、豐乾合稱「天台三聖」，同為唐代著名的天台山國清寺中的苦行禪師。