 Leng views it as a follow-up to "Within You Without You", in which Harrison had first channelled the teachings of the Hindu Vedas into a song.In his autobiography, "I, Me, Mine", Harrison says that "Sour Milk Sea" espouses meditation as a means to improve the quality of one's life, as well as advocating a proactive approach when faced with difficulty.He says he named the composition after a picture titled "Kalladadi Samudra", which reflects the theme of Vishvasara Tantra in sacred Hindu texts, particularly regarding "the geological theory of the evolution of organic life on earth".