Thursday, April 8, 2010

Punishable by Destruction


In Cambodia, as in the United States, the legal system requires you to take an oath of truth before bearing witness in court. In the Cambodian system, however, this oath is a tad more colorful, the potential consequences of perjury a tad more dire:

I will answer only the truth, in accordance with what I have personally seen, heard, know, and remember.

If I answer falsely on any issue, may all the guardian angels, forest guardians and powerful sacred spirits destroy me, may my material possessions be destroyed, and may I die a miserable and violent death.

But, if I answer truthfully, may the sacred spirits assist me in having abundant material possessions and living in peace and happiness along with my family and relatives forever, in all my reincarnations.

* * *

Thanks, Jeanice, for sending this my way. I'm thinking the courts here could take a cue, though it may not go with our puritanical roots or anything. Oh my, just a taste.

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