Three wise monkeys

The three wise monkeys over the Tōshō-gū shrine in Nikkō, Japan

The three wise monkeys (Japanese: 三猿, san'en or sanzaru, or 三匹の猿, sanbiki no saru, literally "three monkeys") are a pictorial maxim. Together they embody the proverbial principle to "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". The three monkeys are Mizaru, covering his eyes, who sees no evil; Kikazaru, covering his ears, who hears no evil; and Iwazaru, covering his mouth, who speaks no evil. Sometimes there is a fourth monkey depicted with the three others; the last one, Shizaru, symbolizes the principle of "do no evil". He may be shown crossing his arms.

There are various meanings ascribed to the monkeys and the proverb including associations with being of good mind, speech and action. In the western world the phrase is often used to refer to those who deal with impropriety by looking the other way, refusing to acknowledge it, or feigning ignorance.

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Origin

The source that popularized this pictorial maxim is a 17th century carving over a door of the famous Tōshō-gū shrine in Nikkō, Japan. The carvings at Toshogu Shrine were carved by Hidari Jingoro, and belived to have incoporated Confucius’s Code of Conduct, using the monkey as a way to depict man’s life cycle. There are a total of 8 panels and it is panel 2 that the iconic Three Wise Monkeys picture comes from. The philosophy, however, probably originally came to Japan with a Tendai-Buddhist legend, from China in the 8th century (Nara Period). It has been suggested that the figures represent the three dogmas of the ‘so-called’ middle school of the sect.

In Chinese, a similar phrase exists in the Analects of Confucius: "Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety" (非禮勿視， 非禮勿聽，非禮勿言， 非禮勿動).[1] It may be that this phrase was shortened and simplified after it was brought into Japan.

Though the teaching had nothing to do with monkeys, the concept of the three monkeys originated from a simple play on words. The saying in Japanese is "mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru" (見ざる, 聞かざる, 言わざる, or with the suffix in kanji, 見猿, 聞か猿, 言わ猿), literally "don't see, don't hear, don't speak". Shizaru is likewise written し猿, "don't do". In Japanese, zaru, which is an archaic negative verb conjugation, is the same as zaru, the vocalized suffix for saru meaning monkey (it is one reading of 猿, the kanji for monkey). Therefore, it is evident how the monkeys may have originated from what one would see as an amusing play on words.

It is also possible that the three monkeys came from a more central root than a simple play on words. The shrine at Nikko is a Shinto shrine, and the monkey is an extremely important being in the Shinto religion. The monkey is believed to be the messenger of the Hie Shinto shrines, which also have connections with Tendai Buddhism. There are even important festivals that are celebrated during the year of the monkey (occurring every twelve years) and a special festival is celebrated every sixteenth year of the Koshin.

The Koshin belief or practice, was a Toaist folk tradition founded by Tendai Buddhists monks in the late 10th century. It is through the Koshin rite of folk religion that the most significant examples are presented. A considerable amount of stone monuments can be found all over the eastern part of Japan around Tokyo. During the later part of the Muromachi period , it was customary to display stone pillars depicting the three monkeys during the observance of Koshin.

In English, the monkeys' names are often given as Mizaru, Mikazaru, and Mazaru.[2][3] It is unclear how the last two names changed from the Japanese originals.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Original text: 論語 (Chinese), Analects (English)
  2. ↑ Worth, Fred L. (1974). The Trivia Encyclopedia. Brooke House. p. 262. ISBN 0912588128. 
  3. ↑ Shipley, Joseph Twadell (2001). The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 249. ISBN 0801867843. http://www.google.com.au/books?id=m1UKpE4YEkEC&pg=PA249&ots=L6b6SXWuAe&dq=Mikazaru+mazaru&ei=8fe_Ru2ACJKmpQKat_SvDA&sig=secKJtH70tOAeQcNTNS6LzEMiGA. 

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