After being stripped of his privileges as a monk when he was exiled, following Honen's advice, he stayed as hiso hizoku (neither monk nor lay) until his death (since he was no longer a monk, he did not place importance on the religious precept and ate meat and married).
また流罪による僧籍の剥奪後は、法然の助言に従い、生涯に渡り非僧非俗の立場を貫いた（もはや僧では無い為、戒律は重要視せず、肉食・妻帯を断行した）。