法苑珠林 44.48

44.48

In the third year of the Jianning era of Emperor Ling of Han, in Henei a wife ate her husband, and in Henan a husband ate his wife. Husband and wife are the embodiments of the two forms, yin and yang; they are those of deep affection. Now on the contrary they ate each other, yin and yang violating one another: was this merely an eclipse of the sun and moon? After Emperor Ling passed away, all under Heaven was in great disorder; the ruler had the tyranny of reckless executions, and the ministers had the treason of coercion and assassination; weapons injured and mutilated, and flesh and blood became enemies; the disaster of the living beings was extreme. Therefore, human monstrosities preceded it. One regrets not having had the fortune of Tu Cheng's discourse to fathom its disposition (the above three verifications are from the Soushen ji).