While he entered the Buddhist priesthood on Mt. Hiei and studied Tendai teachings, he then aspired to study Zen and journeyed to China in 1171 together with a disciple called 金慶
比叡山で得度し天台教学を学ぶ一方、禅に志し1171年（承安(日本)元年）法弟の金慶とともに中国（南宋）に渡った。