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Three wise monkeys
(from left) Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil 
Three wise monkeys statue in small size 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 covering his abdomen or crotch, or just crossing his arms.
OriginThe source that popularized this pictorial maxim is a 17th century carving over a door of the famous T?sh?-g? shrine in Nikk?, Japan. The maxim, however, probably originally came to Japan with a Tendai-Buddhist legend, possibly from India via China in the 8th century (Yamato Period). 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" (????? ?????????? ????).[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 word play. The saying in Japanese is "mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru" (, , , or with the suffix in kanji, , , ), literally "don't see, don't hear, don't speak". Shizaru is likewise written , "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 , 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. In English, the monkeys' names are often given as Mizaru, Mikazaru, and Mazaru. [2] [3] It is not clear how the last two names changed from the Japanese originals. 
K?shin scroll with the three monkeys Folk faithThree monkeys covering eyes, mouth and ears with their hands are the most likely known symbols of K?shin faith, an obsolete Japanese folk religion with Chinese Taoism origins and ancient Shinto influence. It is not very clear why the three monkeys became part of K?shin belief, but is assumed that the monkeys caused the Sanshi and Ten-Tei not to see, say or hear the bad deeds of a person. The Sanshi (??) are three worms living in everyone's body. The Sanshi keep track of the good deeds and particularly the bad deeds of the person they inhabit. Every 60 days, on the night called K?shin-Machi (???), if the person sleeps, the Sanshis will leave the body and go to Ten-Tei (??), the Heavenly God, to report about the deeds of that person. Ten-Tei will then decide to punish bad people making them ill, shortening their time alive and in extreme cases putting an end to their lives. Believers of K?shin, who have reason to fear, will try to stay awake during K?shin nights. This is the only way to prevent the Sanshi to leave their body and report to Ten-Tei. Meaning of the proverbJust as there is disagreement about the origin of the phrase, there are differing explanations of the meaning of "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."
Other representations
Gandhi's belongings on the day of his death. The statue of the three wise monkeys is visible at the top. They have also been a motif in pictures, e.g., ukiyo-e, Japanese woodblock printings, by Keisai Eisen. Today they are known throughout Asia and in the Western world. Mahatma Gandhi's one notable exception to his lifestyle of non-possession was a small statue of the three monkeys. Today, a larger representation of the three monkeys is prominently displayed at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where Gandhi lived from 1915-1930 and from where he departed on his famous salt march. The courtroom scene in the 1968 film Planet of the Apes features a shot of the three orangutan judges miming the phrase. According to the film's star, Charlton Heston, director Franklin Schaffner conceived the idea but was reluctant to film it, fearing it would be perceived as lowbrow and incongruous with the seriousness of the scene. Nevertheless, he filmed it as an alternate take, and according to Heston, "Maurice Evans and Jimmy Whitmore and Woody Parfrey were amused by it and they all did it." Shaffner hesitantly edited the take into the version shown to preview audiences, and he still wanted to pull it even when everyone seemed to love it. Producer Arthur P. Jacobs and Fox studio head Richard Zanuck persuaded him to leave it in, noting that it got a "great laugh" and that the whole preview had gone so well it would be unwise to tamper even with one scene. Ironically, it is the one moment in the movie that has been singled out for criticism consistently over the years, even among those who otherwise praise the film. [4] See also
NotesReferences
External links
ar:??? ?????? ?????? bs:Tri mudra majmuna de:Drei Affen eo:Tri sa?a simio es:Los tres monos sabios fr:Singes de la sagesse it:Le tre scimmie sagge he:????? ?????? ?????? nl:Horen, zien en zwijgen ja:?? no:Østens tre vise aper pl:Trzy m?dre ma?py sv:De tre aporna Source: Wikipedia | The above article is available under the GNU FDL. | Edit this article
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