In 1068, Kyozen was made Hokkyo (the third highest rank of Buddhist priests) as a reward for painting the Buddha of the Hojo-ji Temple, and since then, from the late Heian period through to the early Kamakura period many ebusshi, such as Chijun and Jonin, were magnificently prolific.
治暦4年（1068年）、教禅が法成寺御仏図絵の賞として法橋を授けられて以後、平安時代後期から鎌倉時代初期にかけて、智順・成忍など多くの絵仏師が活躍した。