St. Francis of Assisi

Dakshinamurti-Ramana

Who is the youthful guru beneath the banyan tree?

Very old are the pupils who seek him.

The handsome teacher’s speech is silence.

Cleared are all the pupils’ doubts.

Under the wonderful banyan tree shines the youthful guru.

Aged pupils come to him.Silence is this teacher’s speech.

Gone are the doubts in the pupils’ minds.

(Sri Ramana Maharshi:
Miracle of Dakshinamurti in: Collected Works)

The model and inspiration for this Icon gave an Icon of Sri Shankara teaching his 4 disciples. It was transformed to Sri Ramana Dakshinamurti.The young Ramana sits under a banyan tree teaching in powerful silence, surrounded by four human disciples plus a bird and a fish. – The circle is open – so anyone can join. In His hands he holds Nan Yar (Who am I?) – His essential teaching. Behind is Arunachala. It is the always present background, on which this scene plays eternally all over the world.