The teaching of wood carving at the Toshogu Shrine, which represents the three wise monkeys, continues to inspire us today. His original message was simple and categorical: “Don’t you hear what drives you to do evil?”Don’t you think wrongdoing is natural? And it’s not a bad thing to talk without foundation.
Interestingly, time and our Western vision have simplified this original teaching to stick to the classic “I don’t see, don’t listen and don’t talk. “A motto that can be found even in WhatsApp emoticons and that somehow completely distorts the original idea and the order of the figures depicted.
- “Nothing is more beautiful than knowing the truth.
- Nothing is more shameful than approving the lie and taking it for granted.
- “Cicero.
However, teaching is much more than that, because the 16th-century representation erected in honor of the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasum is rooted in the teachings of Confucius, and for many, the message of the three monkeys also has much to do with three socrate filters.
In any case, it is always rewarding to delve into this type of classical iconography and its original wisdoms to reflect and update our knowledge a little. The three wise monkeys of Togoshu show us this moral code and mysticism that we love so much, I want to share it with you.
The legend of the three wise monkeys has its origins in Chinese mythology, it is an astonishing story made by three curious characters: Kikazaru, the monkey who does not hear, Iwazaru, the monkey that does not speak, and Mizaru, the monkey who does. don’t see.
These three unique creatures were sent by the gods as observers and messengers, they had to record all the facts and evils of humanity and then bring to the knowledge of the deities, these divine messengers were represented in the following order:
What this story teaches us is that first of all we must be pure in mind, avoid listening to what makes us do wrong, speak without foundation and not see evil deeds as a natural thing. .
There is an interesting parallel between the legend of the three wise monkeys and this story left to us by Socrates, explaining how one of his students entered his house one morning, eager to tell him a rumor. Faced with the young man’s impatience, the Athenian sage explained that before revealing this news, he had to think of these three dimensions:
These three filters have a lot to do with the profiles each monkey represents in the Toshogu Temple.
“Even if the truth is with the minority, it’s still true. “Gandhi?
In addition to being wise, Kikazaru is also careful, is the monkey on the left and chooses to cover his ears so as not to hear some information because he wants to keep his balance.
It is not a question of avoiding certain data, facts or evidence, it is not a cowardly or defeatist attitude, but a choice: to set aside unnecessary and harmful information to protect its integrity.
Iwazaru is the small monkey of the center and represents the need not to convey evil, not to spread rumors and, above all, to be very careful in spreading these stories, as Socrates reminds us with their three filters: they are not real, they are not good, let alone useful.
From Socrates’ point of view, Mirazu represents a direct invitation to make a blind eye to what is not useful, which is not useful or good.
Nor is there a passive or cowardly attitude here, it is not about turning away, not denouncing evil or evil itself (remember that in the legend it is the monkeys themselves who decide the punishment). The eyes of someone who knows how to differentiate between good and evil, who punishes evil to keep the good, the noble and what helps us to be better people.
In conclusion, both in the original legend of the three wise monkeys and in the three filters left to us by Socrates, there is a primary teaching that has survived in time, and today it remains more useful than ever: we must be careful what we say. , be careful what we hear and be able to direct our gaze.
There are certainly three mechanisms that will help us preserve our inner balance and happiness.