肇論新疏 2.296

2.296

昔不相面，但企想勤勞。慧明付遺民書者、暫對者，因書見意，暫如面對。貧道者，古之沙門謙稱，亦少有病疾或勞心而得，是故云爾。書式有二幅三幅，此廣略二幅爾，略令先知大況故。

In the past they did not meet face to face, only looking forward with diligent toil. Huiming delivered Liu Yimin's letter. 'Briefly facing you in person' means that through the letter he saw his meaning, as though briefly facing him in person. 'This impoverished monk' is an ancient śramaṇa's humble designation; he also had a slight ailment or acquired it through mental weariness, which is why he speaks thus. Epistolary formats have two sheets or three sheets; here there are two sheets, an extensive and a brief one, the brief one being to let him know the general situation beforehand.