Who’s the fourth monkey?
We do certain things. We don’t do certain things. The distinction between these two aspects define who we are. There are some things we want to do. There are some things we don’t want to do. Knowing the difference between the two can take a long, long while. Some of us know what they want to do but aren’t sure what they don’t want to do. Some of us know what they don’t want to do but are dead sure what they want to do. Both these kinds often wonder what the hell are they doing with their lives.
The principles we abide by are drawn by invisible higher authorities. Very rarely does an individual discover his character in isolation. However, it doesn’t take a lot to figure out the decent mode from the not-so-decent one. Being good is rewarding as long as one’s behaviour is attuned to rewards. The moment you behave outside this scrupulous trap, you tend to expose yourself. Which is why extremism might be contemptuous on both ends of the spectrum. Too much good could be as dangerous as too much bad.
In light of this persisting duality, it’s a nice time to revisit the three monkeys associated with Gandhiji although they weren’t originally conceptualized by him. Japanese in origin, the triumvirate cover three different parts of their bodies with three specific purposes. Mizaru covers his eyes meaning he won’t see evil. Kikazaru covers his ears as he hears no evil. Iwazaru covers his mouth suggesting he speaks no evil. In an anti-septic world perfumed by utopian spirit, it’d be feasible to emulate these three gentlemonkeys. But we, in 2017, live in a slightly different era. It’s reasonably impossible to not see, hear or speak evil. Moreover, it’s more challenging to unsee, unhear or unspeak evil. The damage once done is done.
So, what exactly was Gandhiji reaching out to when he mentioned the three wise monkeys? With my limited understanding of his experiments with truth, I’d say that he went a step further than the obvious. For him, perhaps, covering one’s eyes to avoid evil is effective as long as you understand evil. How are you to know when to close your eyes if you aren’t familiar with evil? If a wicked act is unfolding in front of your eyes, tightening your eyelids or turning your head in a different direction won’t help the situation. What is required here — since we don’t live in an ideal world — is a pretense of not looking at things that could harm you. You cover your eyes but you don’t close your mind. A similar logic applies to the aural and the vocal features of the other two monkeys.
Evil was, is and will always be there. The greater question is, what do you want to do with it? Or, what not?
