This idea has been transposed into western thinking by this maxim from the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), taken from his work Die fröhliche Wissenschaft (The Gay Science): “ I do not want to wage war against ugliness. So we must endeavour to fill our senses only with that which is just. At a basic level, sensory deprivation is simply the removal of one or all of the human senses. A Buddhist/Shinto proverb that some sources maintain is Japanese, while others maintain it is Chinese and attribute it to Confucius, because a similar concept is quoted in the Analects of Confucius, which date from the 4th or 2nd century BC, 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. Evil proceeds by contagion, mimicry, it stains. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. It is very likely that the ancient sages of China and Japan wanted to signify that paying attention to improper things meant corrupting ourselves: by sullying our eyes, our ears or our words with any sort of filth we would become soiled, even if our intention was to protect ourselves from it. This ancient oriental precept is said to have found its animal personification in Japan thanks to the phonetic identity of saru (猿) which means monkey but which is pronounced zarou, and indicates a negative form: thus the three monkeys are called Mizaru, Kikazaru and Iwazaru (Miza, Kika and Iwa are abbreviations for seeing, hearing and speaking) and are associated with the negative commands they represent: do not see, do not hear and do not speak. MediumMaterial: stoneware overglaze enamels. The first expression of this prescription is said to come from the Chinese sage Confucius (551-479 BC) or one of his disciples: “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.” ( The Analects, Book XII). Three Monkey Figures: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Collegiate esports communities seem to be particularly vulnerable to toxic behaviors. Toxicity in online environments is a complex and a systemic issue. It originated in China, and then found its allegory in Japan where it transcended the centuries. See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil: How Collegiate Players Define, Experience and Cope with Toxicity.

The symbolic wisdom of these monkeys predates its physical representation. But does the celestial meaning of their silent senses still mean anything to us now? They are so universal that they have their own emoji effigies, a sort of terrestrial consecration.

Very Good Heavy Vintage Wood 3 Individial Monkets -total weightapprox 2.3 Kilos. The origin of the three wise monkeys (“see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”) is lost in the mists of time. See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil Monkeys.

Hear no evil speak no evil