The 3 wise monkeys... wise or not?

Question: The 3 wise monkeys!.!.!. wise or not!?

The three wise monkeys respectively are !.!.!.!.
See no evil;
Hear no evil and
Speak no evil!.

I question the premise that these "actions" are somehow considered wise!.!.!.!.

How is choosing to IGNORE what's happening around you considered wise!?

Refusing to SEE or HEAR what's happening doesn't make it NOT happen!. Surely that's just the same as "doing an ostrich" and burying your head in the sand!?

You can choose NOT to know what's happening, choose to ignore the atrocity's etc but that isn't exactly wise and it doesn't stop the thing occurring does it!?

Choosing to ignore things = ignorance!.!.!. is that bliss and wise or stupid!?

So why are these "three monkeys" heralded as being the epitome of wise!? Where did the concept originate from!? Who "invented" the concept!?

Are they wise, or stupid!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Again, most misinterpret the messages of the 3 wise monkeys!. See no evil - means to see no evil in others, but to see the goodness, the good side of others!. Hear no evil - to ignore evils of tales, of rumours, of lies spread from others with ill intents!. Speak no evil - not to speak evil of others (you know how human hearts can twist and turn when speaking of others we do not like)!.
As a story taken to illustrate how human beings should conduct themselves, it could be illustrated using any animals (or even by humans), but that is not the main point, and we will miss the point by debating over whether monkeys are wise or otherwise!Www@QuestionHome@Com

I agree with you, person should be open to all sort of things to obtain wisdom, about their origin:
The three wise monkeys (Japanese san'en or sanzaru, orsanbiki no saru, literally "three monkeys") are a pictorial maxim!. Together they embody the proverbial principle to "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil"!. The three monkeys are Mizaru, covering his eyes, who sees no evil; Kikazaru, covering his ears, who hears no evil; and Iwazaru, covering his mouth, who speaks no evil!.

Sometimes there is a fourth monkey depicted with the three others; the last one, Shizaru, symbolizes the principle of "do no evil"!. He may be covering his abdomen or crotch, or just crossing his arms!.

wiki has detailed infoWww@QuestionHome@Com

they are monkeys, jokers, perhaps a symbol of human behaviour, in a Buddhists context, the Buddha, in contrary, has his eyes wide open, a looong wide open ear, and his lips
!.!.!.with a little joking smile, acknowledge in it!.!.!.!.only speaking
words of medicine, but these monkeys wont drink the medicine, nor hear never see, what do you think is their faith!? C!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I think it is representing the senses for if you have not seen it heard it or spoke of it then it has obviously not happened to you!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I know of no singular monkey let alone three who can be considered intelligent, or having any sense, let alone any wisdom!.

The deaf, the dumb, and the blind!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The end of the proverb is 'that we ourselves shall be spared all evil', which never struck me as being very wise, as it is not possible to live in such isolation!. But what can you expect from monkeys!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Its a Japanese proverb and made global by Gandhi!.
We can have few more monkeys to cover few more assumptions!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Not wisdom but alienation!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It is the same morale of 3 little pigs story!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

We are back to, 'Agree or disagree!?' now!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

ignorance I would say, a picture of modern life!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

We have a much better saying here which refutes the "do nothing" mind set!.
"Evil prospers when good men do nothing"!. -John Philpot Curran!.
Since the emergence of man we have been attempting to explain the effect nature has and create order out of what appears to be random chaos!. The two major forces at work today are nature and manmade events!. Natural events follow their own sometimes unpredictable rules!. Man made events follow their own and very often unpredictable rules!. The difference between man and nature is that nature is absolved of evil man is not because his evil actions are premeditated!.
So now we arrive at the question of just exactly what is evil!?
Both man and nature have caused horrific events that resulted in massive pain, suffering and death!.
If man does not think about what he does in advance, is it still evil!? Nature cannot chose whether to have a tsunami or not, it just is what it is!. If evil is the conscious choice by man to do something that results in pain or suffering then you can make the argument that the three wise monkeys are evil!. They are promoting the idea that man should be less conscious by not seeing, hearing or speaking about evil!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Just as there is disagreement about the origin of the phrase, there are differing explanations of the meaning of "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil!."

In Japan the proverb is simply regarded as a Japanese Golden Rule!. Some simply take the proverb as a reminder not to be snoopy, nosy and gossipy!.

Early associations of the three monkeys with the fearsome six-armed deity Vajrakilaya link the proverb to the teaching of Buddhism that if we do not hear, see or talk evil, we ourselves shall be spared all evil!. This may be considered similar to the English proverb "Speak of the Devil - and the devil appears!."

Others believe the message is that a person who is not exposed to evil (through sight or sound) will not reflect that evil in their own speech and actions!.

Today "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" is commonly used to describe someone who doesn't want to be involved in a situation, or someone turning a willful blind eye to the immorality of an act in which they are involved!.Www@QuestionHome@Com