The Dalai Lama, a prominent Tibetan spiritual leader, has issued an apology after a video of him making a suggestive gesture with a child went viral on social media. The footage shows the Dalai Lama asking a young boy if he wants to suck the spiritual leader’s tongue, followed by him kissing the child on the lips.
The Dalai Lama’s office acknowledged the incident and expressed regret for the hurt caused by his words, stating that the spiritual leader often engages in innocent and playful teasing in public and before cameras. The statement also affirmed that he wanted to apologize to the child and his family for any discomfort caused by the incident.
The video, which appears to have been recorded at the Dalai Lama’s temple in Dharamshala on February 28, shows the spiritual leader interacting with around 120 students who completed a skills training programme. The footage has sparked widespread criticism, with many social media users denouncing the incident as inappropriate and disturbing.
In the video, the boy is seen asking if he can hug the Dalai Lama, to which the leader motions to his cheek, saying “first here” and the boy kisses his cheek and gives him a hug. Then, while holding the boy’s hand, the Dalai Lama motions to his lips and says “I think here also” before kissing the child on the lips.
Afterwards, the spiritual leader puts his forehead against the boy’s and says, “and suck my tongue”. The boy sticks his tongue out before withdrawing, and the Dalai Lama follows suit.
Despite the controversy, the M3M Foundation, the philanthropic arm of real estate company M3M Group, which organized the skills training program, posted photos of the event on social media. One photo shows the Dalai Lama hugging the boy from the viral video.
Sticking out one’s tongue is a form of greeting in Tibet, but the Dalai Lama’s gesture has been widely criticized for its inappropriateness.
This is not the first time the Dalai Lama’s office has issued an apology. In a 2019 interview with the BBC, the spiritual leader sparked outrage when he stated that any future female Dalai Lama should be “attractive.” His office apologized for the remark soon after.
