After he entered the priesthood, he went to Enryaku-ji Temple on Mt. Hiei and stayed at the training center called Jogyodo in the Shuryogon-in in Yokawa, where his master Jien served as Kengyo. He pursued his study and disciplined himself as a monk of the Tendai sect according to its religious practice of Fudan Nenbutsu.
出家後は延暦寺（比叡山延暦寺）に登り、慈円が検校（けんぎょう）を勤める横川（よかわ）の首楞厳院（しゅりょうごんいん）の常行堂において、天台宗の堂僧として不断念仏（ふだんねんぶつ）の修行をしたとされる。