Partly because the letters of his Buddhist name Zenshin were used in the secular name Yoshizane, he called himself "Gutokusha Shinran" (Gutokusha means a foolish bald man), borrowing the Shin from India's Tenshin Bosatsu and the Ran from Unran Daishi, and began to lead a life of "Hiso Hizoku" (neither monk nor layman).
親鸞は「善信」の名を俗名に使われた事もあり、「愚禿釋親鸞（ぐとくしゃくしんらん）「親」は、インドの天親菩薩より、「鸞」は曇鸞大師より。」と名乗り、非僧非俗（ひそうひぞく）の生活を開始する。