The Guru Who Taught Me Beyond Speech

On the occasion of Guru Purnima, I find myself reflecting upon a lesson that has transformed not only the way I speak, but also the way I look at my mind and my life.

Over the years, I have met many people who taught me about speech therapy and techniques to manage stammering. But then I found TISA, where Satyendra Sir, Amit Sir, and many others taught me something far deeper—that the real struggle is not always with the words we speak, but with the thoughts, emotions, fears, and expectations that arise within us before we speak them.

Through their guidance, I began to understand that stammering is not merely a speech disorder; it can also become a window into the workings of the mind. The anticipation of a block, the fear of judgment, the frustration, and the urge to control every word often create a struggle within us that is greater than the stammer itself.

They taught me to pause, observe, accept, and proceed. Gradually, I began to realise that the same approach applies not only to speech, but to life itself. We cannot always control our thoughts, emotions, moods, or circumstances—but we can learn to observe them without becoming prisoners of them.

Today, I feel that I have learnt something far more valuable than techniques for fluent speech. I have learnt to become a little more aware of my mind, a little more accepting of myself, and a little more peaceful in the face of life’s uncertainties.

Perhaps this is what a true Guru does. A Guru does not merely show us how to overcome a particular struggle; a Guru gives us a new perspective from which the struggle itself begins to look different.

On this Guru Purnima, I bow with profound gratitude to my two Gurus in particular—Satyendra Sir and Amit Sir—for helping me find not only my voice, but also a deeper understanding of myself.

Some teachers teach us how to speak.
A true Guru teaches us how to listen—to our own mind, to our own life, and ultimately, to ourselves.