Under such circumstances, it was widely thought that the root of such differences in the contents of scriptures was the difference of the era and contents of Shaka's original teachings and a variety of Kyoso Hanjaku, a method for distinguishing the era of Shaka's preachings as well as judging the supreme teachings among them, were practiced by various sects.
そこで、経典の内容が種々異なるのは、釈迦が教えを説いた時期や内容が異なるためと考え、教えを説いた時期を分類し、その中でどれが最高の教えであるかという、ひとつの判定方法として、各宗派によってさまざまな教相判釈が行われた。