The famous Nikko Tosho-gu Shinto shrine in the Japanese city of Nikko houses a work of art known throughout the world. A carved panel depicting three wise monkeys has been located above the door of this temple since the 17th century. Made by sculptor Hidari Jingoro, the carving illustrates the famous phrase “See nothing, hear nothing, say nothing.”
It is believed that this proverb came to Japan from China in the 8th century, as part of Tendai Buddhist philosophy. It represents three dogmas that symbolize worldly wisdom. The carved monkey panel is just one small part of a larger series of panels at Tosho-gu Shrine.
There are 8 panels in total, which represent the “Code of Conduct” developed by the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius. A similar phrase appears in the collection of sayings of the philosopher “Lun Yu” (“Analects of Confucius”). Only in the edition, dating back to approximately the 2nd – 4th centuries AD, it sounded a little different: “Do not look at what is contrary to decency; do not listen to what is contrary to decency; do not say anything that is contrary to decency; do not do anything that is contrary to decency.” It is possible that this is an original phrase that was shortened after it appeared in Japan.
The monkeys on the carved panel are Japanese macaques, which are very common in the Country rising sun. On the panel, monkeys sit in a row, the first one covers its ears with its paws, the second one covers its mouth, and the third one is carved with its eyes closed.
Monkeys are commonly known as "see no, hear no, speak no" monkeys, but in fact, they have their own names. The monkey who covers his ears is called Kikazaru, the one who covers his mouth is Iwazaru, and Mizaru closes his eyes.
The names are probably a play on words, as they all end in "zaru", which is Japanese stands for monkey. The second meaning of this word is “to leave,” that is, each word can be interpreted as a phrase aimed at evil.
Together, this composition in Japanese is called “Sambiki-Saru”, i.e. “Three Mystical Monkeys”. Sometimes a fourth monkey named Shizaru is added to the famous trio, who represents the principle of “do no evil.” It is worth noting that according to the generally accepted opinion, Shizaru was added much later in the souvenir industry, only for commercial purposes.
Monkeys represent the approach to life in the Shinto and Koshin religions. Historians believe that the symbol of the three monkeys is approximately 500 years old, however, some argue that similar symbolism was spread in Asia by Buddhist monks, originating in the ancient Hindu tradition. Photographs of monkeys can be seen on ancient Koshin scrolls, at which time the Tosho-gu Shrine, where the famous panel is located, was erected as a sacred building for Shinto believers.
Contrary to popular belief that the three monkeys originated in China, "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" sculptures and paintings are unlikely to be found in any country other than Japan. Most old monument The kosin, which featured monkeys, was built in 1559, but there is only one monkey on it, not three.
an image of three monkeys, symbolizing the Buddhist idea of non-doing evil, detachment from the untrue. “If I do not see evil, do not hear about evil and do not say anything about it, then I am protected from it” - the ideas of “non-seeing” (見ざる mi-zaru), “non-hearing” (聞かざる kika-zaru) and “non-speaking” "(言わざる iwa-zaru) about evil.
Sometimes a fourth monkey is added - Sezaru, symbolizing the principle of “do no evil”. She may be depicted covering her belly or crotch.
The choice of monkeys as a symbol is associated with a play on words in the Japanese language. The phrase “see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing” sounds like “mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru”, the ending “zaru” sounds like the Japanese word for “monkey”.
The Three Monkeys became popular in the 17th century as a sculpture above the doors of the famous Toshogu Shinto shrine in the Japanese city of Nikko. Most often, the origin of the symbol is associated with the folk belief of Koshin (庚申.
There is a similar phrase in Confucius’s book “Lun Yu”: “Do not look at what is wrong; Don't listen to what is wrong; Don't say what is wrong; Don't do what is wrong" (非禮勿視， 非禮勿聽，非禮勿言， 非禮勿動. Perhaps this particular phrase was later simplified in Japan.
Mahatma Gandhi carried figurines of three monkeys with him
The image of three monkeys, personifying the Buddhist concept of the non-action of evil, has long become a textbook - it has been depicted hundreds of times in works of art and literature, coins, postage stamps, souvenir products. But the origin of the famous composition still raises questions.
Each monkey symbolizes a certain idea, or rather, part of it, and has a corresponding name: Mi-zaru (covers eyes, “See no evil”), Kika-zaru (covers ears, “Hear no evil”) and Iwa-zaru (covers mouth , “Speak no evil”). Everything together adds up to the maxim “If I do not see evil, do not hear about evil and do not say anything about it, then I am protected from it.” Why do monkeys personify this wise thought? It's simple - in Japanese the suffix "zaru" is consonant with the word "monkey". That's a pun.
It is not known exactly when the first image of the three wise monkeys appeared, but the origin of the symbol most likely arose in the depths of the Japanese folk belief Koshin. It has its roots in Chinese Taoism, but is widespread among Shintoists and Buddhists. In accordance with the teachings of Kosin, three spiritual entities live in a person, who have the unpleasant habit of reporting to the supreme deity about all his misdeeds every sixtieth night, when a person falls asleep. Therefore, believers try to do as little evil as possible, and approximately once every two months, on the fateful night, they perform collective ritual vigils - if you don’t fall asleep, your entities will not be able to come out and tell lies. Such a night is called the night of the monkey, and the oldest mentions of it date back to the 9th century.
But the three monkeys became popular much later - in the 17th century. This happened thanks to the sculpture above the stable doors of the famous Shinto shrine Toshogu in the Japanese city of Nikko. This is one of the oldest religious and pilgrimage centers in the country, famous for its picturesque views and temples included in the World Heritage List cultural heritage UNESCO. No wonder the Japanese proverb says “Don’t say kikko (Japanese: “wonderful”, “great”) until you have seen Nikko.” How and why the image of three monkeys appeared in the design of such a minor outbuilding of the Toshogu Temple as a stable is unknown, but the construction of the building is confidently attributed to 1636 - therefore, by that time the wise monkey trio already existed as a single composition.
However, the principle personified by the three monkeys was known long before the 17th, and even the 9th century, not only in Japan: in the great book of Confucius “Conversations and Judgments” (Lun Yu) there is a very similar phrase: “Do not look at what is wrong, don’t listen to what’s wrong, don’t say what’s wrong.” There are also similarities between the Japanese concept of the three monkeys and the three vajras of Tibetan Buddhism, the “three jewels”: purity of action, word and thought.
The funny thing is that there are actually not three monkeys, but four. Se-zaru, symbolizing the principle of “Do no evil,” is depicted covering the stomach or groin, but is rarely found as part of the overall composition. And all because the Japanese consider the number 4 unlucky - the pronunciation of the number 4 (“shi”) resembles the word “death.” The Japanese try to exclude from their lives everything connected with this number, so the fourth monkey suffered a sad fate - it is always in the shadow of its companions.
Wise monkeys are often mentioned in films and songs, depicted in cartoons and graffiti, they even served as prototypes for the Pokemon series - in a word, they have become firmly established in contemporary art, occupying a small but strong place in it.
It is believed that this proverb came to Japan from China in the 8th century, as part of Tendai Buddhist philosophy. It represents three dogmas that symbolize worldly wisdom. The carved monkey panel is just one small part of a larger series of panels at Tosho-gu Shrine.
There are 8 panels in total, which represent the “Code of Conduct” developed by the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius. A similar phrase appears in the collection of sayings of the philosopher “Lun Yu” (“Analects of Confucius”). Only in the edition, dating back to approximately the 2nd - 4th centuries AD, it sounded a little different: “Do not look at what is contrary to decency; do not listen to what is contrary to decency; do not say anything that is contrary to decency; do not do anything that is contrary to decency.” It is possible that this is an original phrase that was shortened after it appeared in Japan.
The monkeys on the carved panel are Japanese macaques, which are very common in the Land of the Rising Sun. On the panel, monkeys sit in a row, the first one covers its ears with its paws, the second one covers its mouth, and the third one is carved with its eyes closed.
Monkeys are commonly known as "see no, hear no, speak no" monkeys, but in fact, they have their own names. The monkey who covers his ears is called Kikazaru, the one who covers his mouth is Iwazaru, and Mizaru closes his eyes.
The names are likely a play on words, as they all end in "zaru", which is the Japanese word for monkey. The second meaning of this word is “to leave,” that is, each word can be interpreted as a phrase aimed at evil.
Together, this composition in Japanese is called “Sambiki-Saru”, i.e. “Three Mystical Monkeys”. Sometimes a fourth monkey named Shizaru is added to the famous trio, who represents the principle of “do no evil.” It is worth noting that according to the generally accepted opinion, Shizaru was added much later in the souvenir industry, only for commercial purposes.
Monkeys represent the approach to life in the Shinto and Koshin religions. Historians believe that the symbol of the three monkeys is approximately 500 years old, however, some argue that similar symbolism was spread in Asia by Buddhist monks, originating in the ancient Hindu tradition. Photographs of monkeys can be seen on ancient Koshin scrolls, at which time the Tosho-gu Shrine, where the famous panel is located, was erected as a sacred building for Shinto believers.
Contrary to popular belief that the three monkeys originated in China, "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" sculptures and paintings are unlikely to be found in any country other than Japan. The oldest kosin monument to feature monkeys was built in 1559, but it only features one monkey, not three.
The famous Nikko Tosho-gu Shinto shrine in the Japanese city of Nikko houses a work of art known throughout the world. A carved panel depicting three wise monkeys has been located above the door of this temple since the 17th century. Made by sculptor Hidari Jingoro, the carving illustrates the famous phrase “See nothing, hear nothing, say nothing.”
Three wise monkeys./ Photo: noomarketing.net
It is believed that this proverb came to Japan from China in the 8th century, as part of Tendai Buddhist philosophy. It represents three dogmas that symbolize worldly wisdom. The carved monkey panel is only one small part of a larger series of panels at Tosho-gu Shrine.
Three monkeys at Tosho-gu Shrine in Nikko, Japan.
There are 8 panels in total, which represent the “Code of Conduct” developed by the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius. A similar phrase appears in the collection of sayings of the philosopher “Lun Yu” (“Analects of Confucius”). Only in the edition, dating back to approximately the 2nd – 4th centuries AD, it sounded a little different: “Do not look at what is contrary to decency; do not listen to what is contrary to decency; do not say anything that is contrary to decency; do not do anything that is contrary to decency.” It is possible that this is an original phrase that was shortened after it appeared in Japan.
World War II poster addressed to participants in the Manhattan Project.
The monkeys on the carved panel are Japanese macaques, which are very common in the Land of the Rising Sun. On the panel, monkeys sit in a row, the first one covers its ears with its paws, the second one covers its mouth, and the third one is carved with its eyes closed.
Monkeys are commonly known as "see no, hear no, speak no" monkeys, but in fact, they have their own names. The monkey who covers his ears is called Kikazaru, the one who covers his mouth is Iwazaru, and Mizaru closes his eyes.
Three wise monkeys on the beach in Barcelona.
The names are likely a play on words, as they all end in "zaru", which is the Japanese word for monkey. The second meaning of this word is “to leave,” that is, each word can be interpreted as a phrase aimed at evil.
Together, this composition in Japanese is called “Sambiki-Saru”, i.e. “Three Mystical Monkeys”. Sometimes a fourth monkey named Shizaru is added to the famous trio, who represents the principle of “do no evil.” It is worth noting that according to the generally accepted opinion, Shizaru was added much later in the souvenir industry, only for commercial purposes.
Brass casting.
Monkeys represent the approach to life in the Shinto and Koshin religions. Historians believe that the symbol of the three monkeys is approximately 500 years old, however, some argue that similar symbolism was spread in Asia by Buddhist monks, originating in the ancient Hindu tradition. Photographs of monkeys can be seen on ancient Koshin scrolls, at which time the Tosho-gu Shrine, where the famous panel is located, was erected as a sacred building for Shinto believers.
The oldest monument is Kosin.
Contrary to popular belief that the three monkeys originated in China, "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" sculptures and paintings are unlikely to be found in any country other than Japan. The oldest kosin monument to feature monkeys was built in 1559, but it only features one monkey, not three.
Symbolic group of three monkeys covering eyes, ears and mouth with paws appeared in the East, most sources agree with this. More specifically, the “place of birth” of the three monkeys is called with a high degree of certainty Japan. This is confirmed both by historical artifacts and linguistically.
Prohibitions expressed by the composition “not to see, not to hear, not to speak” (when recorded using kanji見猿, 聞か猿, 言わ猿 - mizaru, kikazaru, ivazaru) consist of an action verb and an archaic suffix giving the negation " -zaru" So this suffix is consonant with the word “monkey”; in fact, it is a voiced version of the word “ Sarah"(猿). It turns out that the image of three monkeys is a kind of pun or rebus, a play on words understandable only to the Japanese.
The oldest known images of three monkeys are also found in Japan. Most likely, the composition of three monkeys first appeared in the local Japanese cult of Ko-shin. In China, this teaching (in Chinese Geng-shen, 庚申) is well known and developed in the Taoist canon; the practices of Geng-shen have been described since ancient times and can be considered part of the living Taoist tradition. In Japan ritual practices Ko-shin was first carried out among the educated nobility at the imperial court and only later became somewhat widespread among the wider population, gaining the support of individual Buddhist schools. Currently, the cult of Ko-shin in Japan has almost completely disappeared, and if it survived anywhere, it has either degenerated into banal regular parties with alcohol, or has turned into cultural reconstructions.
Brief background: in the East the magic of numbers has always been revered and the monkey is considered not only as an animal: it is also a number or, if you like, one of the phases of the universal cycle. If we recall the currently particularly popular eastern “animal” calendar, in which alternating years are designated by one of 12 animal symbols, you can see a monkey among them. The monkey occupies the ninth position in a cycle of 12 phases. When 10 so-called are added to 12 animals. “celestial trunks” associated with the 5 primary elements, an even larger cycle of 60 phases is formed. Any events are cyclical; the development of all situations can be divided into 60 phases until the next round. There are large, sixty-year and small, sixty-day cycles. The 57th day or year, considered extremely unlucky, is especially celebrated. And this 57th phase is called “ko-shin”, where “ko-” (庚) is one of the primary elements, usually called metal, and “-shin” (申) is a monkey.
From the Chinese Taoists, the Japanese received the doctrine of three essences (“worms”) living in the human body. They tempt their wearer to commit various rash acts, and then regularly, on the night of that very “monkey” ko-shin day, when the wearer falls asleep, they send a denunciation of his misdeeds to higher powers. Followers of the folk cult (in Japan Ko-shin, in China Geng-shen) organize collective vigils every 60 days to prevent the three worms from contacting the supreme deity. 
Japanese followers of the cult often depict the six-armed, blue-faced punishing deity Shomen-Kongo (靑面金剛) on scrolls and stone carvings. Sometimes one, two or three monkeys became his companion-attributes (apparently, the importance of the monkey’s day influenced it). Gradually, it was the three monkeys (probably because of the three internal worms in humans) that began to predominate, and the poses became unambiguous (remember the homophony of reading actions expressed by monkeys). Most likely, it was in this way that a stable composition with three monkeys was formed, but it did not gain independence for a very long time, remaining an attribute somewhere under the feet of the blue-faced deity.
Three monkeys gained fame and fame in Nikko (日光), one of the historical religious and cultural centers of Japan. Nikko's most famous landmark is the Toshogu Shinto Shrine (東照宮), famous for the intricate carvings that adorn the buildings. Some of the compositions that make up the decoration of the buildings are recognized as masterpieces, for example, a sleeping cat or three monkeys. The monkeys do not decorate the central building of the sanctuary complex, but only the stables. Moreover, the carved panel with the composition “I don’t see, I don’t hear, I don’t speak” is not the only one, but among the various monkey poses, the Japanese singled out these three figures. Since then, these are the most famous three monkeys in the world, the standard of composition, even any symbolic group of three monkeys can be called “The Three Monkeys of Nikko.” 
Monkeys from Nikko are interesting to us in historically in that they give a completely definite, materially fixed upper limit for the appearance of a symbol. The construction of the stable with its decorations is confidently attributed to 1636, that is, by this time the three monkeys clearly existed as a single composition.
A much earlier example is given to us by Buddhist literature. Monk Muju at his most famous book"Collection of sand and stones" sometime between 1279 and 1283. wrote a poem in which three monkey negatives are mentioned by name, and in the parable-commentary to this poem these negatives are directly called monkeys. That is, in the 13th century. at least one Buddhist monk knew and appreciated the play on words on which the symbolism of the three monkeys is based.
Legends call the name of the first Japanese person to depict three monkeys; this is the founder of a branch of Buddhism tendai, the great teacher Dengyo-daishi (Saicho, 最澄). He lived in the 8th-9th centuries. and he is credited with many “discoveries” included in Japanese culture. Dengyo allegedly could have brought the symbol of the three monkeys from China along with the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, tea, etc. But, nevertheless, legends remain legends. To us, the three monkeys seem more like a Japanese endemic than a symbol that came from the mainland. In general, at the Tendai school and its cult center - Mount Hiei near Kyoto - there are extremely many coincidences associated with the three monkeys, so the cultural and geographical localization of the symbolism is very likely there.
But with the biological prototype of three monkeys it is simpler: if the symbol appeared in Japan, then most likely the only monkeys living in the country were depicted - Japanese macaques (lat. Macaca fuscata).
About principles and names
Turning to the theme of the story of the three monkeys, one cannot help but consider separately the question of the principles they symbolize, and independently of the prohibition to see, hear and speak and the prohibition to see, hear and speak precisely evil.
Three no's
Analogues of a stable combination of denials or prohibitions to see, hear, speak can be found in many religious and philosophical teachings of both the East and the West. In this sense, the principle expressed by the three monkeys is much older than the monkeys themselves.
The most commonly remembered quote is from Confucius
In addition to Confucianism, Taoism is also indicative, in which the central concept - Tao - is apophatically described through three negations:
If it is highly likely that the visual composition with monkeys appeared among the Koshin cult, which has undeniable roots in Chinese Taoism, it would be very tempting to assume that it illustrates a Taoist principle. However, there is no evidence of this, and material evidence rather refutes this assumption.
Against evil
In English and in general Western culture monkeys are often referred to as “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” (don’t look at evil, don’t listen to evil, don’t speak evil), which significantly shifts the meaning of the symbolism (see section The Philosophy of the Three Monkeys). It is enough to recall the Taoist understanding of the duality of opposites or the desire not to build boundaries in definitions and judgments to generate persistent doubts about the presence of evil in the original understanding of symbolism. Indeed, in Japanese it is 三匹の猿 (three monkeys) or 見猿, 聞か猿, 言わ猿 (not seeing, not hearing, not speaking). Apparently evil comes from the West.
If not with one hundred percent certainty, then with a very high degree of probability it can be argued that the prohibition to see, hear and speak evil existed in Western culture before becoming familiar with the symbolism of the three monkeys.
There is an outstanding figure in US history who laid many of the foundations American nation- Thomas Paine ( Thomas Paine) - Englishman, but one of the "Founding Fathers" of America.
In his letter we see familiar denials:
At the time of writing these lines, Japan had long been pursuing a policy of self-isolation and any relations with it outside world were minimal, so the possibility of the influence of Japanese monkeys on Payne’s work can be excluded.
And in order not to be limited to the New World, let us give an example from Europe 
In the ancient church of St. Paul's in Roquardine ( Wrockwardine, Shropshire ( Shropshire), England) in the 19th century. reconstruction was carried out, during which new stained glass windows were inserted. In one of the compositions, three angels hold scrolls with imperatives that will later be written on the figures of three monkeys: “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” (don’t look at evil, don’t listen to evil, don’t speak evil)
We can conclude that the exotic symbol that came from Japan met with the principle of rejection of evil, already familiar to the West, which led to a rethinking and added popularity to the three monkeys.
Alternative origin theories
The topic of the origin of the three monkeys cannot be considered exhausted without revealing the theory of the extra-Japanese origin of symbolism. As mentioned above, in Japan the composition of three monkeys is often considered to be borrowed from China. This point of view is shared, in particular, by long-term researcher of the topic Michio Iida (飯田 道夫). Judging by the article in the Chinese-language section of Wikipedia (Chinese), China also agrees with this theory. But China is only an intermediate link here. The symbolism of the three monkeys seemed to come along the Great Silk Road not from anywhere, but straight from Ancient Egypt. Among the images of Egyptian sacred baboons and throughout Asia, right up to Japanese Islands researchers are trying to find irrefutable evidence of the existence of the three-monkey composition before its appearance in Japan. So far, as far as we know, no such evidence has been found, although a significant number of interesting artifacts with unclear or controversial interpretations have been selected.
Respecting the opinion of adherents of the extra-Japanese theory, we, however, will take the liberty of calling it only an alternative until truly decisive arguments appear.