The origin of "Geba-fuda" is not known, but it was described in "The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western Regions" that, when Shakyamuni (Buddha) was preaching at Ryojusen Mountain, he put up Sotoba (a tall, narrow wooden tablet) to notify all nobles to get down from their palanquins or dismount their horses and all ordinary people not to enter into the area secured for his preaching.
その起源は明らかでないが、「大唐西域記」に、釈迦が霊鷲山で説法する時、退凡下乗の卒塔婆を建てたことが見える。