The Dalai Lama has recently apologized after a video circulated which appears to reveal that he kissed an Indian boy and reportedly suggested that the boy suck on his tongue. The incident apparently happened during the spiritual leader’s charity event at his temple in Dharamshala, India in February.
The incident was initiated when the young boy asked the spiritual leader, “Can I hug you?” The offer was subsequently accepted. However, the Dalai Lama then asked the boy to kiss him on the cheek before pointing at his lips, per the Daily Mail.
Tenzin Gyatso (the spiritual leader’s name) held the boy’s face briefly as they kissed, and then he asked the boy to “suck" his tongue. The awkward video reveals that the boy slowly inches toward the 87-year-old’s outstretched tongue.
After the weird incident, the Dalai Lama gave the boy a nugget of wisdom, suggesting him to follow “those good human beings who create peace, happiness,” and encouraged the boy not to “follow those human beings who always kill other people.”
However, there are those on social media who have wasted no time in condemning the spiritual leader as “disgusting” and “an insidious false prophet.”
There are also those who have come to his defense, suggesting that he was just “joking around,” per the report.
The Dalai Lama posted an apology to Twitter, saying: “A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. His Holiness wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.”
“His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident.”
The Dalai Lama still remains the bastion of the Tibetan autonomous movement, but China has previously referred to the spiritual leader as a “wolf in a monk’s robe.”
The spiritual leader reached the pinnacle of fame when he won the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, but his immense influence has slowly waned since then. He has been known to engage with Hollywood stars and world leaders, but this, too, has quickly slowed down due to his age and infrequent travel schedule.
