The author of this work，Saicho，was strongly opposed to the Hinayana monastic precepts, favouring instead the Mahayana precepts. In support of his ideas he had presented to the throne the San-ge-gaku-sho-shiki (No.115)，specifying in three sections the regulations to be observed by monks of the Tendai School. Owing to the intense opposition of the six schools of Buddhism based in Nara, Saicho was unable to gain ready imperial sanction for these regulations. Accordingly he composed this "Treatise Clarifying the Precepts, " written to counter the arguments of the Nara schools against the four articles of the third section of his San-ge-gaku-sho-shiki. In the present work，he demonstrates that it is not at all proper to adhere stubbornly to the Hinayana precepts, giving at the same time detailed quotations of the arguments of the Nara schools.
As it turned out，permission for the Mahayana precepts was not granted during Saicho's lifetime; imperial sanction was finally given one week after his death, and the Tendai School was recognized as an independent school unattached to the Nara schools. In the light of these facts, it is valid to say that this work exerted considerable influence upon Japanese attitudes towards monastic precepts.
