The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, has apologized after video surfaced of him kissing a young boy on the lips and requesting that he “suck my tongue” at an event in northern India.
The allegations of inappropriate behaviour surround a since-viral video from the Dalai Lama’s visit to a temple in his honour in Dharamshala, India in February.
In the video, a young boy approached the 14th Dalai Lama, also called Tenzin Gyatso, and asked for a hug. In response, the 87-year-old religious figure gestured to his own cheek and said, “first here.” The boy kissed the Dalai Lama’s cheek and gave him a hug.
“I think here also,” the Dalai Lama continued. He held the boy’s chin and pulled his face forward for a kiss on the lips. There was applause as the Dalai Lama laughed.
Holding the boy’s chin, the Dalai Lama pressed their foreheads together for a moment. After he released the boy, the Dalai Lama said, “and suck my tongue” before sticking it out at the boy. Again, they pressed their foreheads together, with the Dalai Lama’s tongue still extended between him and the boy.
The Dalai Lama then advised the boy to search for “peace and happiness” and avoid “human beings who always kill other people.” The pair hugged once more.
Outrage over the interaction grew in April after the video was shared widely on social media. Many called the incident “disgusting” and “shameful.”
In reaction, the Dalai Lama issued a statement of “regret” on Monday.
“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,” the statement reads.
“His holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident.”
The Delhi-based child rights group Haq: Center for Child Rights told CNN in a statement the organization condemns “all form of child abuse.”
“Some news refers to Tibetan culture about showing tongue, but this video is certainly not about any cultural expression and even if it is, such cultural expressions are not acceptable,” the statement reads.
The Dalai Lama is the holiest figure and leader of the Yellow Hat school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was exiled from Tibet in 1959 when China annexed the country after an unsuccessful uprising. He has lived in India ever since.
The video from February is not the first time the Dalai Lama has received criticism. In 2019, he suggested that if the Dalai Lama were to be reincarnated as a woman, she ought to be “more attractive.” He later apologized for the comment.
In 2018, the Dalai Lama said Europe should be kept for Europeans, and refugees from Africa or Muslim countries should return to their country of origin. He said Europe was “morally responsible” for accepting refugees but asserted that they “ultimately should rebuild their own country.”
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