Events that led to the reforming of the Buddhist faith--which up through the Heian period had remained very abstruse, comprehensible only to a select few, and for which any proselytizing activities towards the masses were prohibited--included the rise to prominence of the Kamakura sect of Buddhism as well as new progress in efforts to reform Nara (i.e., old-guard) Buddhism.
平安時代までの難解で、大衆への布教が禁じられていた仏教を変革する運動として鎌倉仏教の宗派が興隆し、奈良仏教（旧仏教）の革新運動がすすんだ。