As mentioned before, Saicho tried to establish the Tendai sect by winning the assignments of nenbundo-sha, building Daijo-Kaidan and so on in order to oppose the Nanto sects, and since persuading Tokuitsu who was the theorist of the Hosso sect of Buddhism led to the advantage of the Tendai sect over Nanto rokushu, he became more aggressive.
前述のごとく年分度者の割当を勝ち取り、大乗戒壇の設立など、天台宗を確立して南都仏教に対抗しようとする最澄にとって、法相宗の理論家である徳一を説き伏せることは、天台宗の南都六宗への優位を示すことにも繋がるため、より攻撃的になった面もある。