The calligraphy of Kukai and that of ONO no Tofu are exquisite, if asked whether they are exquisite or not, and are like being written by god, if asked whether they are like being written by god or not, but when viewing their works minutely, it is found that they were only imitators of calligraphy in Tang and did not worship what they understood as the origin of calligraphy in the Tang period.
「空海・小野道風の書、妙は則ち妙なり、神は則ち神也、然れども之れを細観し来る時は唯唐書の盲従者たるに過ぎずして、唐代の書を遡源的に解釈して之れを崇拝したるものにあらざるが如し。」