A ring of gold indicates a low hanging sun over the ocean’s frothy waves. Here, Matsubara evokes a scene from the life of the Buddhist monk Kūkai (774-835). As a young man, Kūkai retreated to a remote cave to seek spiritual awakening as he watched the daily rise and fall of the sun, moon, and ocean. The radiating sun and crashing waves represent different forms of energy and power and the different paths to enlightenment.