This practice was especially prevalent during the Heian period when there were many temples in which several sects were mixed, as it allowed all monks of the same sect to reside, practice and study within a single inge.
特に複数の宗派が混在する寺院が多かった平安時代においては、同じ宗派を信奉する僧侶が1つの院家において集団生活を行い、修行・研究の場とするケースも多かった。