Translation

In the town of Lashnik, near Lublin, lived a married couple, Chaim Noson and Teibele. They had no surviving children, though not because of barrenness: Teibele had borne her husband a son and two daughters, but all three had been lost—one to whooping cough, one to a malignant fever, and one to diphtheria. After that, Teibele’s womb closed its eyes; prayers, charms, and herbal brews were all of no avail, and grief drove Chaim Noson away from worldly life.…

The close of a dark, soundless day of the year; clouds crept along the edge of heaven. After riding all day through a town with little life or beauty, I found this house of Usher only at dusk. I cannot say exactly what it was like, but at the very first sight it filled my soul with sorrow—the house, the land around it, the chill…

The Great Way is not difficult for anyone without preferences of their own.  When longing and hatred are both absent, everything is clear and undisguised. Cling to even the slightest attachment, and heaven and earth are separated without limit. If you wish to see reality, do not cling to any view, whether in acceptance or rejection. The struggle over what one likes and what one hates is a kind of sickness of the mind. When the inner meaning of a thing is not understood, the mind’s fundamental peace is disturbed…