During the feudal period in Japan there was a resurgence of Buddhism that led to the founding of many new sects. These new sects were formed mostly out of revolt against the more established sects. Many believe that the decline of the old central government and the military clashes that followed instilled a feeling of helplessness amongst the people. Therefore, people arrived at the idea that only by turning to the Buddha could they find salvation in the midst of such chaotic times. However, Reischauer, Fairbank, and Craig believe that this was merely a sign of its spread to new classes and its further assimilation into Japanese life. For Example, the pure land doctrines had started to spread in the Fujiwara period but had become very popular with the common people by feudal times. Also, the samurai warrior class had found solace in the meditative aspects of Zen Buddhism. These new sects, unlike the old sects, who revolved around the central governmental aristocracy, were becoming accustomed to the lower classes or the warrior class. Feudalism in the 12th and 13th centuries seems to be responsible for this heightened state of awareness and social position. This is supported by revealing evidence of the common man in picture scrolls and literature of the Kamakura period. During the Fujiwara period the common man had been non-existent in documentation. It was in these individual sects of Buddhism (Jodo, Nichiren, and Zen) that the common man found a home of self-expression where salvation was open to all, not just the political elite. During this time all were looked on as equal through the eyes of Buddhist faith. As it may be, all three of these sects, the Jodo, Nichiren, and Zen, have vast differences in their ways, however, they do share a similar bond in their appeal to the common man and their responsibility for the unprecedented heightened state of social awareness and self-expression that took place among the Japanese people.