In general, the term Tanritsu is understood as 'a religious corporation that is set up independently,' however, one theory holds that they linked one temple to 'Tan,' the space that every priest has in a meditation hall at a temple, to create the term Tanritsu to express a condition in which one is independent from a religious school.
一般に「単独で設立された宗教法人」の意味と理解されているが、一説に寺院の僧堂内にある各僧侶1人1人のスペースを「単」といい、そこから1寺院を単になぞらえ、宗派という集団から独立した状態を指すようになったともいう。