According to the Juyo Kanjō-ki 授与灌頂記 held in the Shōmyōji 称名寺, in the time of the second abbot （late 13th c.）, to become abbot it was necessary that one receive the transmission of the five schools of Shingon Buddhism. But from the time of the third abbot, what became necessary was receving consecration （伝法灌頂） from the Ninnaji 仁和寺 school. Moreover, as was well known all over eastern Japan, the Shōmyōji was in the line of transmission of the Sanbōin 三宝院 school. Based on these factors, I have understood that behind the academic characteristics of the abbot there was a mix of required scholastic background, the tradition of the temple itself, and personal interests. Therefore I suggest the necessity to revise the ways we describe the history of a temple.
