I’ve always heard the popular expression, backed up with three characters pantomiming “See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil,” although I’ve wondered whether it’s really good advice, or whether we’re being asked to turn a blind eye to evil in the world.
But last year, in Koblenz, Germany, I saw these four fellows in a store window, and eventually just had to find out what the fourth monkey was doing. And so I found that all four have Japanese names, and that the last, Shizaru, symbolizes “Do No Evil.”
In case you’re wondering, the rest of the four wise monkeys are Mizaru, covering his eyes, Kikazaru, covering his ears and Iwazaru, covering his mouth.
But I’m still left with that question: Obviously we should emulate Iwazaru and Shizaru, who speak and do no evil. But perhaps following Mizaru and Kikazaru is not so wise!
