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Here's something y'all probably didn't know...

The names of the "three wise monkeys" are:

Mikazaru: Hear no evil

Mazaru: Speak no evil

Mizaru: See no evil


Their So-called Origin:

The Nikko Toshogo Shrine (also known as the "Sacred Stable") Japan has a carving of three wise monkeys. Many scholars believe the monkeys were carved as a visual representation of the religious principle:
"If we do not hear, see, or speak evil, we ourselves shall be spared all evil".

Others believe that the saying originated from a Japanese play on words. "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" translated into Japanese is, "mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru".

The Japanese word for monkey is "saru", and sounds very similar to the verb-ending "zaru".
It is easy to see how the saying may have originated from a fun play on words.

The only problem with this explanation is that the three wise monkeys aren’t originally from Japan...

In the 8th century A.D., a Buddhist monk from China introduced the three wise monkeys to Japan. They were associated with a fearsome blue-faced deity called "Vadjra".
It is believed that the monkeys’ gestures were a representation of a command of the deity to "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil".

Whatever the origin and meaning, it is one of the "wisest" phrases and something we should all strive to live by...

(Well, except for the seeing, hearing and speaking part---I mean, can you guys really live without porn, rap music/cussing and gossip?)