3 monkeys do not see do not hear do not speak. The story of three Japanese monkeys that have become a symbol of female wisdom

Three wise monkeys on a carved wooden panel decorating the sacred stable at Toshogu Shrine, (Nikko, Japan)

Three monkeys(from Japanese: 三猿, sangyong or sanzaru, also 三匹の猿, sambiki no saru, literally "three monkeys"; English three wise monkeys, "Three wise monkeys") - a stable artistic composition, a symbol expressing the principle "I see no evil, I do not hear evil, I do not speak of evil."

Monkeys are called Mizaru- she closes her eyes, "who does not see evil"; Kikazaru, - closes the ears, "who does not hear evil", and Iwazaru, - covers his mouth, "who does not speak of evil." Sometimes a fourth monkey is added to the composition - Shizaru"who does no evil". She may be depicted with her hands covering her groin.

Various interpretations of the symbol of the three monkeys are known. In Western culture, three monkeys are often viewed negatively as an expression of an unwillingness to notice, acknowledge and discuss existing problems.

Origin

The three monkeys gained popularity thanks to the image above the doors of the sacred stable in the Shinto shrine Toshogu in the Japanese city of Nikko. In total, the building is decorated with 8 carved panels, two of which depict a composition with three monkeys. The carving was done in the 17th century. artist Hidari Jingoro. It is believed that he used Confucian moral principles as a basis. Among other Buddhist legends, three monkeys penetrated Japanese philosophy with the teachings of the Tendai school, which came to Japan from China in the 8th century. during the Nara period.

In Chinese culture, a principle similar to the image of three monkeys can be found in the book of Confucius (Kung Tzu) “Lun Yu”: “Do not look at what is contrary to decency; do not listen to what is contrary to decency, do not say what is contrary to decency, do not do what is contrary to decency" It is possible that this phrase was rethought and simplified in Japan.

Although the Confucian principle has nothing to do with monkeys, the composition may have come from a simple play on words. In Japanese, "mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru" (见ざる, 闻かざる, 言わざる, or with the kanji suffix, 见猿, 闻か猿, 言わ猿), literally "do not see, do not hear, do not speak." "Shizaru" is also written as "し猿", "don't do". In Japanese, "zaru" is an archaic negative verb conjugation, coinciding with "zaru", a vocalization of the suffix "saru" meaning "monkey" (this is one of the readings of 猿). Thus, apparently, monkeys arose because of a play on words.

However, it is possible that the three monkeys have deeper roots than a mere pun. The shrine at Nikko is Shinto and monkeys are extremely important in the religion of Shinto. There are even important festivals that are celebrated in the Year of the Monkey (occurring every twelve years) and a special holiday is celebrated every sixtieth year "Koshin".

Belief (or practice) Kosin (Jap. 庚申) is a folk tradition that has roots in Chinese Taoism and has been maintained by the monks of the Buddhist Tendai school since the end of the 10th century. It was the belief of Koshin that gave the most massive examples of images of three monkeys. A significant number of stone stelae are known throughout eastern Japan around Tokyo. In the later Muromachi period, it becomes a tradition during Koshin observance to erect a carved stone stele depicting monkeys.

The "Three Monkeys" were described as assistants to Saruta Hito no Mihoto or Koshin, the road deities. The Kosin festival was held every 60th day. It is believed that on this day all the bad deeds committed over the past 59 days are revealed to Heaven. It is possible that the three monkeys symbolize everything that has been done wrong.

In English, monkey names are sometimes presented as Mizaru, Mikazaru, and Mazaru. It is not clear how the last two words came about.

folk belief

Three monkeys that cover their eyes, mouth and ears most likely appeared in the environment of the Koshin folk belief, which has roots in Chinese Taoism and experienced Shinto influence.

It is not entirely clear what exactly caused the appearance of monkeys in the Koshin belief. Monkeys are thought to be related to Sansi and the heavenly Jade Emperor Ten Tay not to see, speak or listen to a person's bad deeds. Sanshi (Jap. 三尸) are three worms that live in the body of every person. The Sansi watch over the good deeds and especially the bad deeds of their wearer. Every 60 days, on a night called Koshin-machi(庚申待), if the person is asleep, the sansshi leave the body and go to Ten-Tei (天帝), the Heavenly God, to give an account of that person's deeds. Ten-Tei, on the basis of such a report, decides whether to punish a person, send illnesses to him, shorten his life or send him death. Followers of the Koshin belief who have reason to fear the consequences of their transgressions must stay awake during the Koshin night to prevent the Sanshi from going to the Heavenly Emperor.

The meaning of the proverb

There is controversy over the origin of the phrase expressed by the three monkeys. Various explanations of the meaning of the expression "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" are known.

• In Japan, the proverb is simply regarded as an analogue of the "golden rule".
• Some simply take the proverb as a reminder not to peep, eavesdrop, or gossip.
• The early association of the three monkeys with the six fearsome armed deities of Vajrakilaya is a reference to the Buddhist idea that if we do not hear, see, or speak of evil, we ourselves must be delivered from all evil. This is reminiscent of the English proverb "Speak of the Devil - and the devil appears" ("Remember the Devil - and the devil appears").
• Some believe that one who is not exposed to evil (through sight or sound) will not express that evil in their speech and actions.
• Nowadays, "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" is commonly used to describe those who do not want to be involved in a situation, or who deliberately ignore an immoral act.
• In the Italian version, "Non vedo, non sento, non parlo" (see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing), expresses "Omerta" - the code of honor and mutual responsibility in the ranks of the mafia.
• In many interpretations, the phrase can be seen as a way to avoid the spread of evil. Do not listen to evil, lest they influence you. Do not read about evil or look at evil so that it does not affect you, and finally do not repeat evil verbally so that it cannot spread.

Cultural influence

Figurine of three wise monkeys

The three wise monkeys and related proverbs are famous throughout Asia and the Western world. They served as a source for many works of art, for example, painting in the ukiyo-e genre.

Three monkeys - symbolize the idea of ​​non-action of evil and 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” - this famous saying is known all over the world. His symbol is three monkeys: one closes his mouth, the other - his eyes, the third - his ears.

Three monkeys - meaning

In the mouth of the Buddha, this saying sounds like this: "If I do not see evil, do not hear about evil and do not say anything about it, then I am protected from it."

In the exposition of Confucius: “Do not look at what is wrong; do not listen to what is wrong; do not say what is wrong; don't do what is wrong."

Sometimes the fourth monkey, Shizaru, may be present in the composition, symbolizing the principle of "doing no evil". She is depicted covering her stomach or perineum.

The sculptural composition with monkeys first appeared in Japan; it is decorated with the Toshogu shrine in the city of Nikko. Why, then, were monkeys chosen as the symbol of this statement?

Most likely due to the play on words in Japanese. The phrase “I don’t see, I don’t hear, I don’t speak” sounds like “mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru”, the ending “zaru” is consonant with the Japanese word for “monkey”.

The god Vajrayaksha, who protects people from spirits, diseases and demons, also has three monkeys as his escorts.

Parallels with this statement are present in many scriptures: Taoism (“Zhuangzi” and “Lezi”), Hinduism (“Bhagavad Gita”), Jainism (“Naladiyar”), Judaism and Christianity (“Ecclesiastes”, “Psalms” and "The Book of Isaiah"), Islam (Sura of the Koran "Al-Baqarah"), etc.

You can often hear the opinion that "by closing our eyes to evil, we simply move away from what is happening in the world."

But the meaning of this sculpture and saying is different, it can be most easily explained through knowledge of the philosophy of Ayurveda.

In addition to nutrition for the physical body, we also receive energy and mental nutrition. This food is absorbed by our subtle body, and also digested in it. The positive, pure energy received from the contemplation of beautiful landscapes, being in the company of benevolent, bright people, is redistributed in temples during divine services into the higher contours of the subtle body. This subtle type of nutrition gives us inspiration, creative insight, deepens spiritual experiences.

The energy received through negative sources of information, which is now in most cases the media, is coarse and destructive, being absorbed, it will be used for such states as the expression of anger, aggression, impure tendencies of the mind, creating images.

Mental energy is the most important energy, because the state of the whole organism depends on its quality. Positive and bright energy saturates all organs and tissues, bright images in the mind make our dreams clear, our mind calm, relax tightness and spasms in the body, remove stress phenomena, help to heal both diseases of the body and psyche.

Negative energies lead to improper functioning of the organs, the accumulation of internal fear and unreasonable anxiety, despondency, suppress the bright and creative consciousness in a person. Absorbing information and events that are not his destiny, a person himself changes his life for the worse.

Protect yourself from negative information, and you will see what changes will take place in your life, how wonderful and beautiful this world can be.

The famous Shinto shrine Nikko Tosho-gu 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 is an illustration of the well-known 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 the Tendai Buddhist philosophy. It represents three dogmas that symbolize worldly wisdom. The monkey carved panel is just one small part of a large series of panels at the Tosho-gu shrine.

Three monkeys at the Tosho-gu shrine in Nikko, Japan.

There are 8 panels in total, which are the "Code of Conduct" developed by the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius. In the collection of sayings of the philosopher "Lun Yu" ("Analects of Confucius") there is a similar phrase. Only in the edition, dating from about the 2nd - 4th centuries of our era, it sounded a little differently: “Do not look at what is contrary to decency; do not listen to what is contrary to decency; do not say what is contrary to decency; do not do what is contrary to decency." It is possible that this is the original phrase, which was shortened after it appeared in Japan.

World War II poster addressed to the 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. Monkeys sit in a row on the panel, the first of them covers its ears with its paws, the second closes its mouth, and the third is carved with closed eyes.

Monkeys are commonly known as "see not, hear, not speak", but in fact, they have their own names. The monkey that covers its ears is Kikazaru, the one that covers its mouth is Iwazaru, and Mizaru closes its eyes.

Three wise monkeys on the beach in Barcelona.

The names are probably puns as they all end in "zaru", which means monkey in Japanese. The second meaning of this word is "leave", that is, each word can be interpreted as a phrase aimed at evil.

Together, this composition in Japanese is called "Sambiki-Saru", that is, "Three mystical monkeys." Sometimes, a fourth monkey named Shizaru is added to the well-known trio, which represents the principle of "doing no evil." It is worth noting that according to the generally accepted opinion, Shizara was added much later in the souvenir industry, only for commercial purposes.

Casting from brass.

Monkeys represent an approach to life in the Shinto and Koshin religions. Historians believe that the symbol of the three monkeys is about 500 years old, however, some argue that such a symbolism was spread in Asia by Buddhist monks, originating in the ancient Hindu tradition. Pictures of monkeys can be seen on ancient koshin scrolls, while the Tosho-gu shrine, where the famous panel is located, was erected as a sacred building for Shinto believers.

The oldest monument is Koshin.

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 other country than Japan. The oldest koshin monument that featured monkeys was built in 1559, but it only has one monkey, not three.

I see nothing, I hear nothing,
I don't know anything, I won't tell anyone...
"I can't see anything", lyrics L. Oshanina, music O. Feltsman, popular artists: Edita Piekha and Tamara Miansarova

Many people know the ancient oriental symbol - three monkeys, one of which diligently closes its eyes with its paws, the second - its ears, and the third - its mouth. But where they come from, what they are associated with and what they mean is less known.

Place of Origin of the Three Monkeys

There are many assumptions regarding the place where the three monkeys appeared: they are called and China, and India, and even Africa, but the birthplace of three monkeys - after all Japan. A confirmation can be a reading in Japanese of the actions expressed by the composition: “I don’t see, I don’t hear, I don’t speak” (when recording using kanji見猿, 聞か猿, 言わ猿 - mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru). Negative suffix " -zaru" 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 that is understandable only to the Japanese.

Religious roots

Undoubtedly the original religious significance of the monkey group. Often referred to as Buddhist symbol, but not everything is so simple. Yes, Buddhism adopted three monkeys, but it was not he, or rather, he alone was the cradle of three monkeys.

Religion in Japan has special properties: it is extremely malleable and at the same time resilient: throughout history, the Japanese met many religious and philosophical teachings, accepted and processed them, combining sometimes incompatible into complex systems and syncretic cults.

Cult of Kosin

Three monkeys are originally associated with one of the Japanese folk beliefs - Kosin. Based on Chinese Taoism, Kosin's belief is relatively simple: one of the main postulates is that in each person three certain observer entities ("worms") "live", collecting compromising evidence on their master and regularly going with a report to the Heavenly Lord during his sleep. In order to avoid big troubles, a cult follower needs to refrain from evil in every possible way, and those who have not succeeded in this, so that these internal informants cannot transmit something unseemly “to the center” in time, at the estimated time of “sessions” (usually once every two months) one must refrain from sleeping to hold vigils.

When the three monkeys appeared

The question of the exact time of the appearance of the three monkeys, apparently, cannot be resolved, partly because of the folk character of the faith, which has no centralization and no archives whatsoever. Adherents of the Kosin cult erected stone monuments ( coshin something). It is on them that one should look for the most ancient materially fixed images of three monkeys. The problem is that it is hardly possible to date such monuments.

Some certainty is given by the most famous of the three monkeys. For the Japanese, such a composition is known as "three monkeys from Nikko ».

Three monkeys from Nikko

Biological species of three monkeys

There are many options for the composition with the image of different monkeys (and not only monkeys), often, for example, chimpanzees covering their eyes, ears and mouth. Obviously, in Japan there must have been a different original source of the image. Most likely, as three monkeys should have been depicted japanese macaques(lat. macaca fuscata), which have become famous in recent times " snow monkeys, basking in winter in geothermal springs in Hell Valley in the prefecture Nagano.

Image of three monkeys

Three monkeys have now dispersed almost all over the world, they are depicted in souvenirs and on household items, are used as interior decorations and garden sculptures, in many localities of the world there are monuments to three monkeys, they are used by street artists in graffiti and cartoonists in political satire , from can be found on the coins of Somalia and author's Russian nesting dolls. It is impossible to describe all the options, so we will try to limit ourselves to only some classical solutions.

Composition options

Scattered figures

Beginning with the classic Nikko monkeys, artists can depict the monkeys separately, without being limited by a general pose or arrangement. This decision leaves a lot of freedom, allows you to place the figures more lively and relaxed.

close group

Three isolated figures are too disunited, so artists often want to show a closer connection, the commonality of the three negative principles. One of the possible ways of interaction is in which the monkeys close their ears, mouth and eyes to each other. One of the factors that pushed the composition towards centripetal unification is the use of three monkeys in the form netsuke. Netsuke ( netsuke) - a piece of clothing, a keychain that allows you to kimono hang wearable things on a cord, for example, a wallet or writing instruments (there are no pockets in a kimono). The functional purpose determines the dimensions and requirements for the shape of the netsuke: the keychain must be round and fit in the fist. Three separate figures fit into such requirements badly. Monkeys are planted on top of each other, and pressed against each other with their backs, and forced to roll into a single lump.

One for all

In any case, the composition of ie three monkeys turns out to be visually overloaded for the netsuke format, but the carvers developed a “lighter” version: only one monkey uses all its four paws to cover its eyes, ears and mouth (eyes and mouth with the front, and ears with the hind limbs).

For the only monkey that replaces three at once, the name of the author-inventor of the composition is known. With a sufficient degree of certainty, one can name the master Masatsugu Kaigyokusai (懐玉斎正次) from Osaka, who worked in the 19th century. It is curious that such a composition, it seems, was repeated in Russia in the workshops of Carl Faberge.

fourth extra

Quite often you can meet groups of monkeys, expanded by the fourth or even the fifth figurine. The "extra" monkey either covers the crotch and calls either "not to do" (evil) or "not to have fun." Or a monkey sits quietly, not blocking anything from anything (there is a name “not to think”). It is difficult to say when and where the addition occurred, but it is unlikely for a long time and hardly in Japan.

to be so monkey

In Japan, compositions appeared that repeated three monkeys, but without monkeys, for example, pictures with geishas “I don’t see, I don’t hear, I don’t pronounce.” And nowadays it is customary to “monkey”: it is enough to ask “three wise monkeys” or “see no evil” in large Internet photo storage services (like Flickr) to see the faces of hundreds and hundreds of people. And the souvenir industry puts anyone in monkey poses, you can find "monkey" groups of almost all representatives of the fauna or characters of mass culture.

Sequence order

There is no one accepted order of monkeys in the composition. It is enough to look at the monkeys from Nikko and compare them with the koshin-to stela or the given photographs of modern works.

Cultural influence of the three monkeys

First of all, there is no doubt that the symbol of the three monkeys has entered the world mass culture. The composition, if not popular, is recognizable in almost all corners of the Earth.

Mahatma Gandhi(Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi), a fighter for the independence of India, a teacher of the Indian people and an ideologist of non-violence, did not part with his beloved three monkeys, perhaps the only luxury he could afford. Now Gandhi's monkeys remain one of the main relics in the former residence. Bapu Kuti in an ashram located in a model village Sevagram countryside Maharashtra.

He left his personal impressions of the monkeys at the stable in Toshogu Rudyard Kipling Somalia 2006

Three monkeys featured on postage stamps Tajikistan and New Caledonia.

In the popular animated series "Family Guy" ( Family Guy) there is a minor character Evil Monkey(English "monkey of evil" or "evil (vicious) monkey"). Embodying the childhood fears of one of the cartoon characters, Evil Monkey lives in a closet, scares and torments his master. In the name of the monkey, there is an obvious allusion-opposition to the English name of the three monkeys "no evil monkeys": if there are "monkeys without evil", then there must be a "monkey with evil".

Turkish film directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan Nuri Bilge Ceylan), which received the 2008 Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director, is called "Üç Maymun" (Tour. "Three Monkeys"). In the story, the characters are trying to get away from their family problems, trying not to notice and hush them up. That is, “three monkeys” are considered by the authors as a synonym for “ostrich position”.

A number of English-language books and films use a game with the phrase “I don’t see - I don’t hear ...” in the title, for example, the 2006 American horror film “See No Evil” (in the Russian box office “I See No Evil”), a 1989 comedy "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" ("I see nothing, I hear nothing"), the autobiographical book of the former CIA agent Robert Baer "See No Evil" ("Seeing no evil"), etc.

In Erle Stanley Gardner's detective story The Case Of The Mythical Monkeys (1959), a silk scarf depicting three monkeys serves as central evidence. The three monkeys are often featured on the covers of various editions of this book.

In the repertoire of the American group Sparks there is a song called "Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil".

[...]
Hear no evil (Monkey 1 says you shouldn't hear it)
See no evil (Monkey 2 says you shouldn't see it)
Speak no evil (Monkey 3 says you shouldn't speak it)
[...]

Skeleton-like character, mascot mascot, adorning the album covers and posters of the American thrash metal band Megadeth, with his own name Vic Rattlehead ( Vic Rattlehead) is depicted with eyes closed with a steel plate, ears plugged with some metal objects and a mouth tied with steel hooks.

Citizens of the ex-USSR one of the options for the name of the composition with three monkeys is known from the song “I See Nothing” by Oscar Feltsman and Lev Oshanin, which is the epigraph of this article. The song is popular Tamara Miansarova ( Madeleine Albright), known for wearing brooches containing symbolic messages for interlocutors or audiences, wore a brooch with the image of three monkeys to a meeting with Vladimir Putin in 2000 as a sign of attitude towards the situation in Chechnya.

In the form of three monkeys, politicians from different countries are often depicted in cartoons: the authorities are deaf and blind to the aspirations of the people and are prone to hushing up problems.

Literature

• About three monkeys in Japanese:
  中牧弘允 東方出版、1997.12、 ISBN 4885915449
• About parallels with three monkeys in world religious and philosophical teachings:
  virgo_splendens Lectures on the Three Monkeys. Con. October - early November 2012
• About three monkeys in netsuke:
  All about netsuke. Mythological plots / Comp. S. Yu. Afonkin. SPb: SZKEO Kristall LLC, 2006.-160 p., ill. ISBN 5-9603-0057-5
• About three monkeys in the design of traditional Japanese edged weapons:
  Skralivetsky E. B. Tsuba - legends on metal. - St. Petersburg: LLC Publishing House Atlant, 2005.-328 p.: ill. ISBN 5-98655-015-3
• On the Taoist influence on Japanese beliefs and art, including the origin of the Koshin cult and the connection of the three monkeys with it
  Uspensky M.V. On the Question of the Role of Taoism in Japanese Folk Beliefs (Based on Miniature Japanese Sculpture of the 17th-19th Centuries). Sat. Art and religion. Scientific works of the GE. - L .: Art, 1981, p. 59-75
• About the teachings of Confucius: any edition of Lun Yu (exists in many translations), for example:
  Confucius. Aphorisms and sayings.-M. LLC "House of the Slavic Book", 2010.-320 p. ISBN 978-5-91503-117-2

Some netsuke depict Sambiki-sara - three monkeys, each of which covers either its mouth, or ears, or eyes with its paws. This plot is an illustration of the Buddhist idea "see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil." In Japan, it is associated with the main Shinto shrine of the Japanese - Toshogu Shrine. It is located in the city of Nikko and is the mausoleum of the all-powerful feudal ruler of Japan, commander and shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa (1543-1616). Having seized power in the country, he stopped the bloody feudal strife that had tormented Japan until that time. After his death, the magnificent mausoleum, the construction of which lasted from November 1634 to April 1636, became a kind of symbol of subordination to the central government. The exorbitant costs of building the temple so weakened the financial capabilities of the local feudal lords that they could no longer plot against the institution of the shogunate.

Toshogu includes a small but beautifully decorated Sacred Stable building. It once contained a horse, on which, according to Shinto beliefs, the gods themselves rode. In medieval Japan, a monkey was considered a kind of guardian spirit of horses. It is not surprising that the walls of the Sacred Stables are covered with openwork wood carvings, the main subjects of which are figurines of monkeys. One of the central panels depicts three monkeys, demonstrating their rejection of evil with their postures. These half-meter figures are widely known throughout Japan as "the three monkeys from Nikko".

It is curious that in Japanese the phrase "see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing" sounds like "mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru." The Japanese word "monkey" sounds similar to the ending of each of these three verbs - "zaru" or "zaru". Therefore, the image of monkeys, illustrating the Buddhist idea of ​​rejection of evil, is the result of a peculiar play on words in Japanese iconography. Netsuke masters often reflected this theme in their works.

Three Mystic Monkeys with covered eyes, ears and mouth mean the following: "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."