Three Principles of Life

Mahatma Gandhi has the credit of popularising (and normalising) the three monkeys that represent the idea of - speak no evil, see no evil and hear no evil. However, this maxim comes from a shrine - Tōshō-gū shrine in Nikkō, Japan from the 17th century. The monkey that covers his eyes is called Mizaru, the one covering ears is Kikazaru and the one covering his mouth is Iwazaru.  The origin of this concept, however, is believed to have been from the Koshin rite of folk religion - a Japanese belief with Chinese Taoism and ancient Shinto influences. It was founded by Tendai Buddhist monks in the late 10th century. Their monuments are all over Japan, especially from the Eastern parts where stone pillars depicting the three monkeys are quite common.  The message of the three monkeys was later adopted worldwide as a message of peace and tolerance when Gandhi expounded it in one of his speeches during India’s freedom struggle.