These "Three Wise Monkeys" are seen everywhere in Japan. The originals are supposed to be at Tosho-gu shrine in Nikko (though this may just be the most popular example). I have a picture of them I'll publish some day.
My favorite set, at a small temple in Kyoto, had a fourth monkey covering his groin; guess what that meant!
Anyway, here they are on some stones at Honsenji, a temple on the old Tokaido Road in Shinagawa, in southern Tokyo.
The first picture shows the situation of the stones under a large gingko tree on the temple grounds. The second shows the monkeys at the base of the large stone, and the third, at the base of the mid-sized (center) stone.
The order in both cases seems to be speak - hear - see. This is not always the case (but it is at Nikko). The wearand tear on the carvings indicates that they are quite old.
My dad and Gandhi: On our dinner table when I was a kid there was always a toothpick container with the three monkeys ranged around it. My dad was in Japan in late 1945; I wonder if he brought it home with him? Anyway, it's a prized possession. And according to the Wikipedia article on the monkeys:"Mahatma Gandhi's one notable exception to his lifestyle of non-possession was a small statue of the threemonkeys."
The article also has a discussion on the "Meaning of the proverb." I think that's silly. Isn't it obvious?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave me a message; I can't wait to hear from you!