Hear no evil...

The Chinese Buddhist monk who took the proverb of "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" to Japan probably had read or was aware of the teaching of the Buddha in the Suta Sutta (Sutra),
Anguttara Nikaya 4:183 and a related teaching Abhayarajakumara Sutta (Sutra), Majjhima Nikaya 58:8. These teachings of the Buddha predate the abbreviation of the teaching to a proverb and the addition of the monkeys.