We all know these famous monkeys: one with ears covered, another with mouth covered, and the last with eyes hidden. But where do they come from, and why did Ron English do the opposite with his More Evil Monkeys?

As mentioned above, these three monkeys visually represent the East Asian maxim "Do not see Evil, do not hear Evil, do not speak Evil". It is a Buddhist and Shinto proverb reflecting the idea of avoiding the Three Poisons: greed, ignorance, and anger, which are considered the sources of all suffering.

Although this photo comes from the Tōshōgū shrine in Nikkō, Japan, the maxim is originally from China and spread as far as India. Let’s look at their representation in Japanese culture. From left to right, we have Kikazaru, representing not hearing evil, then Iwazaru, representing not speaking evil, and finally Mizaru, the monkey who does not see evil.