This was a admonition to Saicho, who tried to understand Esoteric Buddhism superficially by making a handwritten copy of Sutra, not mastering the method in esoteric Buddhism; Kukai declined to lend the scriptures insisting that Esoteric Buddhism laid importance not only on scriptures but on ascetic practices and Face to Face Transmission.
これは、修法の会得をしようとせず、経典を写して文字の表面上だけで密教を理解しようとする最澄に対して諌めたもので、空海は密教では経典だけではなく修行法や面授口伝を尊ぶことを理由に借経を断ったという。