You're right! Even my folklore comparisons are in threes.
I kind of feel like (aside from their being intuitive) that "old age, sickness, and death" are the "three." The monk is a topper, a transition to the next step of finding the path. (It actually sort of "jangles"; three negatives and a positive.)
What surprised me was that there were FOUR sights. I'm used to events happening in groups of three in stories.
You're right! Even my folklore comparisons are in threes.
I kind of feel like (aside from their being intuitive) that "old age, sickness, and death" are the "three." The monk is a topper, a transition to the next step of finding the path. (It actually sort of "jangles"; three negatives and a positive.)
I spend a lot of time thinking about this story!