In describing his compositional evolution, Coltrane spoke of his internal search for new musical approaches, referencing the Platform Sutra of Chan Buddhist monk and patriarch Huineng:
“There is never any end. There are always new sounds to imagine: new feelings to get at. And always, there is a need to keep purifying these feelings and sounds so that we can really see what we've discovered in its pure state. So that we can see more clearly what we are. In that way, we can give to those who listen, the essence—the best of what we are. But to do that at each stage, we have to keep on cleaning the mirror”
