Saicho was trying to establish original doctrinal studies as Japanese Tendai Sect, which has different meanings from Chinese Tendai Sect, but was based on the Chinese Tendai Doctrinal Studies founded by Chigi.
最澄は智顗が創始した中国の天台教学を基礎としつつも、中国天台宗とは趣が異なる独自の日本天台宗としての教学確立を目指していた。