Three Chinese monkeys. Three wise Japanese monkeys - “I see nothing, I hear nothing, I will not say anything. One for all

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."

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.

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.

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 closes its ears is called Kikazaru, which closes its mouth is Iwazaru, and Mizaru closes his eyes.

The names are probably puns as they all end in "zaru", which means monkey in Japanese. 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 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.

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.

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.

The image of three monkeys, personifying the Buddhist concept of 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, and souvenirs. But the origin of the famous composition still raises questions.

Each monkey symbolizes a certain idea, or rather, part of it, and bears the corresponding name: Mi-zaru (covers his eyes, "See no evil"), Kika-zaru (covers his ears, "Hear no evil") and Iwa-zaru (covers his 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 is this wise thought personified precisely by monkeys? It's simple - in Japanese, the suffix "zaru" is consonant with the word "monkey". Such is the pun.

You see, there is still no such thing as the Old Academy to know many perfections that are not found on the streets. Don't forget that the best is always hidden enough and that the highest and most precious thing in the world is always zero. We will only have forty-six thousand chairs that will make two million and four hundred thousand happy and five or six billion great hopes. You have probably already seen three monkeys in figurines or photographs, one of which clogs the ears, the other the mouth, and the last one hides the eyes.

But do you know what that means? In the West, it is customary to view them as decorative objects, but little is said about their true meaning. It is difficult to imagine the appearance of the first wisdom monkeys. According to legend, this monk was accompanied by a monkey during his travels. He left China to go to India realizing that the time had come to look for Buddhist texts to bring them back to China. However, he didn't invent the monkeys, he just let them know and helped develop them.

When the first image of the three wise monkeys appeared is not exactly known, but the origin of the symbol most likely arose in the bowels of the Japanese folk belief Koshin. It has its roots in Chinese Taoism, but is common among Shintoists and Buddhists. In accordance with the teachings of Koshin, three spiritual entities live in a person, who have an unpleasant habit every sixtieth night, when a person falls asleep, to report to the supreme deity about all his misdeeds. Therefore, believers try to do as little evil as possible, and about once every two months, on the fateful night, they perform collective ritual vigils - if you don’t fall asleep, your essences won’t be able to come out and snoop. Such a night is called the night of the monkey, and the oldest references to it date back to the 9th century.

Several legends claim that these three monkeys come from the Japanese belief of Koshin. The latter is based on the idea that in every person there are three evil worms, Sanshi, who once every sixty days leave our bodies to communicate our sins to a higher entity, Ten-Tei. But it is difficult to make out the legend of reality.

Moreover, one of the oldest known representations of these three monkeys is on the facade of the Toshogu Temple in Nikko, Japan. Will these three monkeys get out of Japan? Monkeys on the facade of Toshogu Temple. The three mystical monkeys, as they are sometimes called, are called sanzaru. Their names are Mizaru, Iwazaru and Kikazaru. In Japanese, "san" means three and saru means monkey. Over time, saru became zaru, giving the floor to sanzaru. The common meaning of "does not see, hear, or speak" may therefore come from a play on words in Japanese.

But three monkeys became popular much later - in the 17th century. This happened thanks to the sculpture above the doors of the stables 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 (Jap. "wonderful", "great") until you see Nikko." How and why the image of three monkeys appeared in the design of such a secondary outbuilding of the Toshogu temple as a stable is unknown, but the construction of the building is confidently attributed to 1636 - therefore, by this moment the wise monkey trio already existed as a single composition.

Moreover, in Japanese tradition, the monkey is supposed to chase evil spirits. These monkeys must represent a way not to feel evil. The most common meaning is: see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing. But is it really that simple? Is it possible to generalize such a philosophy in this way?

He stays for just a few seconds, rolling over onto his back, scratching his stomach and sitting up. Checks if the vehicle's antenna is removable. He tries to unscrew the trunk holders, but small hands don't get them. The monkey looks back and loves the scooter. With an invisible leap, she landed in her seat, stepped onto the wheel and tried the mirror, her teeth snapping from above.

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 is also a similarity between the Japanese concept of three monkeys and the three vajras of Tibetan Buddhism, the "three jewels": purity of action, word and thought.

He gives up, looks at him, pauses him amiably, starts pressing all the buttons in front of him. Her monkeys are so fascinating that visitors to the Temple of the Rock forget where we come from. On the Indonesian island of Bali come from all over the world exotics, greenery, beaches, reefs, strange smells, exquisite temples, fancy instrument bells, bright colors of local clothes.

Traditional performances are full of history, magic, special symbols that foreigners don't really understand but are absorbed as colors and experiences. And when a monkey show is added to an upcoming sunset performance over a stunning ocean rock, what more does a man want?

The funny thing is that the monkeys, in fact, are not three, but four. Se-zaru, symbolizing the principle of “do no evil”, is depicted covering the stomach or groin, but is rarely found in 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 are trying to exclude from their lives everything connected with this number, so the fourth monkey suffered a sad fate - she is always in the shadow of her companions.

Uluwatu Park on the Bukit Rock peninsula is full of monkeys, and among them are children who easily fall into the human hand. They also want to jump, but they most often hit the target at the end and fall to the ground. They cry weeping, and their mothers sit on the branch above, scratch and give her a pedagogical-stoic. And when the child begins to scream and tremble, the mother hugs him and jumps on the branches of nearby trees and palms.

The presence of monkeys is an integral part of Indonesian folklore. Indonesian artists dressed and made up like monkeys know much more about them than tourists who enjoy it for the happiness of being close to entertaining creatures without the restriction of an iron net. The artists put into the game not just jokes, but a strange change in the movements, moods, expressions and nature of the taunts.

Wise monkeys are often mentioned in films and songs, depicted in cartoons and graffiti, they even served as the prototypes for the Pokemon series - in a word, they firmly entered modern Art, occupying a small, but strong place in it.

About two thousand spectators gather every evening to watch the Kechak dance. The unique thing is that it is without traditional musical accompaniment, but only to the sound of male voices, which almost in a trance repeat what sounds to us like “kachachachakaka-kechakachaka-kechakachaka”. Kneeling in several circles, the men only dance from their shoulders.

For anyone who first came to Indonesia, absolutely nothing is “normal” or “normal”. Of course, the amphitheater where the Kechak dance is performed is on the edge of a huge cliff overlooking the ocean, covered with flowers, greenery, temples and jumping monkeys.

Three wise monkeys. / Photo: noomarketing.net

Tickets for the show are always sold out, including for regulars. Spectacle against sunset. A crowd of people who make their way along a narrow path to the amphitheater, pass through the parapets from a height from the cliff to the ocean, and on the other side, a grove in which monkeys play. Some of them hang out with tourists, show personal passions, and then walk along the railing.

One of them is beautiful, frighteningly close to human expression. The monkey is more furious than our complete lack of dexterity, leans on us and shows lion's teeth. At that moment, a local employee with a thick stick waved her over the lion monkey, which is growing up, and with an elegant leap he leaves. In the dance, the monkey is lit up in the midst of true fires - no wonder it is attributed to its bad spirits and therefore deserves to be baked!

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

Just a few hours ago, at another dance performance, the monkey monkey fights again, but there are many more people who have each other with the dance step. Names, legends, monsters, beliefs, signs of these speeches are difficult to understand from the content of the uninitiated. They are more like a parade of flowers and a strange string of strange instruments.

Indonesia is not an ordinary country and talking about "something traditional Indonesian" is self-confident and wrong. In most cases, countries around the world are defined based on their geographic location and their neighbours. Indonesia, however, consists of 17,000 islands, as well as those that are constantly working with volcanoes, which are created annually in the waters between other islands. Some regions are so wild that it is likely that the natives are still human. When several floods hit Papua a few years ago, the authorities sent helicopter assistance.

World War II poster addressed to the participants in the Manhattan Project.

It turns out, however, that the indigenous peoples had never seen such a noisy flying wonder and began to shoot at the "enemies" with poisonous arrows. And one more question does not stop me from worrying: how many islands should local students be called sixth in geography? How are geographical zones and climatic features of 17,000 islands studied? Can you imagine homework: "Draw a map of Indonesia"?

And do you remember that Pippi's father, according to her, became the king of the Negroes on the island of Borneo? When you get to Indonesia, don't miss to find Captain Ephram Longsock among the inhabitants of this island island of Indonesia as well. However, for Indonesia it is easiest to talk about the island of Bali. Part of the irritating image and lack of revulsion on tour operators. A luxury destination with gorgeous beaches, sophisticated resorts, rich yachts, sophisticated ladies and wealthy Europeans bathed in glitz.

Three on the beach in Barcelona.

But if they don't land directly from the helicopter at their resort, they still have to cross Denpasar Airport - the capital of the popular Indonesian island. And then the unexpected begins. It is impossible to guess what awaits him on one of the 17,000 islands, whether it be with the glory of a world resort.

Apparently, the most common thing for Indonesians is to arrive with two suitcases from a flight and meet them with a scooter. The first thing you'll find is that there's no load on the scooter that can't be attached to it - suitcases are hardly a problem.

The names are probably puns as they all end in "zaru", which means monkey in Japanese. 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", 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.

A family of five can ride a scooter, carry a complete kitchen full of blown up pots, ladles and lids, to transport goods to load shops. And all this oversized traffic makes its way about 2-3 cm from the dense traffic of all cars, buses, trucks, lorries, horse-drawn carriages and all kinds of vehicles. At first glance, it seems impossible for many road users to remain a target, even if they just stopped at each other, but the fact is that they all penetrate this tangle of tires, sheets, boards, bags, legs, baskets, livestock and remain completely ends.

Casting from brass.

According to local laws, a scooter can be driven by anyone who took the exam at 16 years old. I'm interested in laws on how to wear helmets, keep children safe, but it turns out the law gives parents the freedom to keep their children as they see fit. If a person rubs himself inside the shops, an attack of hospitable merchants begins. Guests are ready to bargain for the value of the smallest rag, as this is part of the game.

It turns out that the Bali beach surprises no one, because everyone expects what they see: wide, spacious, sandy, soft and clean beaches. Behind them are beautiful elegant beach buildings with bars, restaurants, magnificent toilets and bathrooms. And delight is reflected in the mirror in fully justified predictions.

The oldest monument is Koshin.

In the surf, the waves are intensely exploring surf enthusiasts and one thing is clear: staying right on the board is great luck. And if you are already in Bali, you have been to a show with bizarre monsters, bad, beautiful, funny and strange characters, you have not eaten a monkey in bad mood heading into the jungle.

The most amazing surprise on the popular island is the possibility of an unforgettable many hours of rafting with a difficulty of 3.5 on a 5-degree scale. Suddenly Bali became the Island of Adventure. Our group is 12, but at the beginning we are people from Japan, Korea, Germany, who also receive instructions. We watch racing even though none of us know about rafting. We put on our vests, tighten the helmet straps, raise the oars, get a short course that we only know we should try to listen to the boat driver.

Symbolic group of three monkeys paws covering eyes, ears and mouth appeared in the East, according to most sources. More specifically, the "birthplace" of the three monkeys with a high degree of certainty is called Japan. This is confirmed both by historical artifacts and linguistically.

The prohibitions expressed by the composition "do not see, do not hear, do not speak" (when recording using kanji見猿, 聞か猿, 言わ猿 - mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru) consist of an action verb and an archaic suffix giving a negation " -zaru". So this suffix is consonant with the word "monkey", in fact, 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.

The oldest known depictions of the three monkeys are also found in Japan. Most likely, the composition of three monkeys first appeared in the local Japanese cult Ko-shin. In China, this teaching (Geng-shen in Chinese, 庚申) is well known and elaborated in the Taoist canon, practices of gen-shen have been described since ancient times and can be considered part of the living Taoist tradition. In Japan, the ritual practices of Ko-shin were first carried out among the educated nobility at the imperial court, and only after that they gained some distribution among the wider population, gaining the support of individual Buddhist schools. At present, the cult of Ko-shin in Japan has almost completely disappeared, and if it has 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 honored 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 now especially popular eastern "animal" calendar, in which alternating years are indicated by one of the 12 animal symbols, one can also see a monkey among them. The monkey occupies the ninth position in a cycle of 12 phases. When 10 tons are added to 12 animals. "Heavenly stems", Associated with 5 primary elements, an even larger cycle of 60 phases is formed. Any events are cyclical, the development of all situations can be decomposed into 60 phases until the next turn. There are large, sixty-year and small, sixty-day cycles. Especially celebrate the 57th day or year, which is considered extremely unlucky. And this 57th phase is called “ko-sin”, where “ko-” (庚) is one of the primary elements, usually called metal, and “-sin” (申) is a monkey.

From the Chinese Taoists, the Japanese learned about the three entities ("worms") that live in the human body. They tempt their carrier into committing various rash acts, and then regularly, on the night of that very "monkey" day of ko-shin, when the carrier falls asleep, they go with a denunciation of his misdeeds to higher powers. Followers of a folk cult (Ko-sin in Japan, Geng-shen in China) hold collective vigils every 60 days to prevent the three worms from contacting the supreme deity.

Japanese cultists 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 attribute companions (apparently, the importance of the monkey day influenced). Gradually, it was the three monkeys (probably because of the three internal worms in man) that began to predominate, and the postures became unambiguous (recall 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 for a very long time it did not receive independence, 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 attraction is the Toshogu Shinto Shrine (東照宮), famous for the intricate carvings that adorn the buildings. Some compositions that make up the decoration of buildings are recognized as masterpieces, for example, a sleeping cat or three monkeys. Monkeys do not decorate the central building of the sanctuary complex, but only the stable. 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 "Three Monkeys from Nikko".

Monkeys from Nikko are interesting to us in historical terms because they give a well-defined, 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 provided by Buddhist literature. Monk Muju, in his most famous book, A Collection of Sand and Stone, sometime between 1279 and 1283. wrote down 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 XIII century. at least one Buddhist monk knew and appreciated the pun on which the symbolism of the three monkeys is based.

Legends call the name of the first Japanese who depicted three monkeys, this is the founder of a branch of Buddhism tendai, the great teacher Dengyo-daishi (Saichō, 最澄). He lived in the 8th-9th centuries. and many "discoveries" that have entered Japanese culture are attributed to him. Dengyo allegedly could bring the symbol of three monkeys from China along with the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, tea, etc. But, nevertheless, the legends remain legends. We see the three monkeys as more of 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 three monkeys, so the cultural and geographical localization of the symbolism is very likely there.

But with the biological prototype of the three monkeys, it’s easier: 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 but consider separately the issue of the principles symbolized by them, and independently of the prohibition to see, hear and speak and the prohibition to see, hear and speak precisely evil.

Three "no"

Analogies of a stable bunch 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 frequently remembered quote from Confucius

In addition to Confucianism, Taoism is also indicative, in which the central concept - Tao - is apophatically described through three negations:

If with a high degree of probability it can be assumed that the visual composition with monkeys appeared in the environment of the Koxin cult, which has undeniable roots in Chinese Taoism, it would be very tempting to assume that it illustrates precisely the Taoist principle. However, there is no evidence for this, and material evidence rather refutes this assumption.

Against evil

In English and Western culture in general, monkeys are often referred to as “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” (do not look at evil, do not listen to evil, do not speak evil), which significantly shifts the meaning of the symbolism (see the Philosophy of the Three Monkeys section) . It is enough to recall the Taoist understanding of the dual unity of opposites or the desire not to build boundaries in definitions and judgments in order to give rise to 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 (do not see, do not hear, do not speak). Apparently evil comes from the West.

If not with absolute certainty, then with a very high degree of probability it can be argued that the ban on seeing, hearing and speaking evil existed in Western culture before acquaintance with the symbolism of the three monkeys.

In the history of the United States there is an outstanding figure who laid many of the foundations of the American nation - Thomas Paine ( Thomas Paine) - an Englishman, but one of the "founding fathers" of America.

In his letter we see familiar denials:

At the time of writing these lines, Japan has long been pursuing a policy of self-isolation and any relations with the outside world were minimal, so the possibility of the influence of Japanese monkeys on Payne's work can be ruled out.

And in order not to be limited to the New World, we will give an example from Europe

In the old church of St. Paul in Roquardine ( Wrockwardine, Shropshire ( Shropshire), England) in the 19th century. was reconstructed, during which new stained-glass windows were inserted. In one of the compositions, three angels hold scrolls with imperatives, which will later be written on the figures of three monkeys: “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” (do not look at evil, do not listen to evil, do not speak evil)

It can be concluded 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 theme of the origin of the three monkeys cannot be considered exhausted without revealing the theory of the origin of symbolism outside of Japan. As mentioned above, in Japan, the composition of the three monkeys is often considered borrowed from China. This point of view is shared, in particular, by the long-term researcher of the topic, Michio Iida (飯田道夫). Judging by the article in the Chinese section of Wikipedia (Chinese), China also agrees with this theory. But China is only an intermediate link here. The symbolism of the three monkeys, as if, came along the Great Silk Road not from anywhere, but straight from ancient egypt. Among the images of Egyptian sacred baboons and throughout Asia as far as the Japanese islands, researchers are trying to find irrefutable evidence of the existence of a composition of three monkeys 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.

While respecting the opinion of adherents of the non-Japanese theory, we, however, will take the liberty of calling it only an alternative one until really decisive arguments appear.

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.

There are parallels with this statement in many scriptures: Taoism (“Zhuangzi” and “Lezi”), Hinduism (“Bhagavad Gita”), Jainism (“Naladiyar”), Judaism and Christianity (“Ecclesiastes”, “Psalter” and “Book of Isaiah”), Islam ( Surah of the Qur'an "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. Positive, pure energy derived from contemplating beautiful landscapes, being in the company of benevolent, bright people, in temples at divine services it is redistributed 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 organs, accumulation of inner 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.

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") - sustainable artistic composition, a symbol expressing the principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no 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) Koshin (jap. 庚申) - folk tradition, which has roots in Chinese Taoism and has been supported by the monks of the Buddhist school of Tendai 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 language, 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 have been the source of many works of art e.g. ukiyo-e painting