The third teacher was Guru Amar Das, and he set up his spiritual base camp at Goindwal in Punjab. In a nearby village lived Prema, a devout disciple. Prema walked with a limp, but every day, he went to Goindwal, carrying a can of milk for the community kitchen.
It was the monsoon season, and the music of wind and thunder was playing. Prema starts out for Goindwal, but his neighbours warn him against stepping out. When Prema says that he must see the Guru, and rain and thunder cannot stop his devotion, they taunt him. “How come your Guru does not see your limp? Why does he not cure your condition with a miracle,” they ask?
Prema knew that the Gurus frowned upon even a mention of miracles. They were steadfast in their teaching that what happens is the will of God. However, Prema is sad at his neighbours’ unkind words, and after reaching Goindwal, he is very quiet. The Guru calls for him.
“Go to Pir Shah Hussain, the dervish,” said Guru Amar Das. Pir Shah Hussain is considered a pioneer of the Kafi form of Punjabi poetry. The symbols used in his Kafis are taken from the day-to-day life of a weaver, the clan to which he belonged. There are mentions of friendship between the Pir and the fifth Teacher Guru Arjan Dev also.
When Prema arrives, the Pir is waiting with a stick, and pretends to attack him. Taken aback, Prema runs away to safety. He was running for some time before he realised that he had forgotten his crutch at the dargah, and the limp had vanished. Returning, he fell at the feet of Shah Hussain. The great soul smiled, and said, “Now go back to Guru Amar Das. He did not want to perform a miracle, and instead, sent you here!” The methods of His apostles are a miracle in themselves.