Ippen, who is regarded as the founder, in fact, did not intend to establish a new sect and his religious community and members had been called just 'Ji shu時衆' (the people [衆] who worried about the time [時] of death).
開祖とされる一遍には新たな宗派を立宗しようという意図はなく、その教団・成員も「時衆」と呼ばれた。