"A wave is born from the deep conditions of the ocean," she said. "A person is born form the deep conditions of the world. A person pokes up from the world and roll along like a wave. Until it's time to sink down again. Up, down. Person, wave.”

Nao talks also about the Kuroshio, one of the four or five currents that make up the Turtle Gyre, all feeding into one another and cycling through. This description of ocean gyres, like the ouroboros, nods to the Buddhist idea of impermanence. Through the ocean currents changing and the ring of the snake eating its tail, the idea of impermanence is further enhanced.

Later, Jiko tells Nao to try to bully a wave. Nao tries but no matter how hard she tries a new wave keeps coming. The cycle of never-ending change gets at the heart of impermanence, and makes the ocean a great example of this Buddhist belief.