The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, has apologized after a video showed him kissing a young boy and asking him if he wanted to “suck his tongue” during an event. By means of announcement, his office stated that he wanted to apologize to the child and his family “for the pain your words may have caused”. Also according to the note, “His Holiness tends to tease the people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and in front of cameras. He regrets the incident.”
In the video that circulated online, and which drew widespread criticism, the boy is seen asking, in English, if he can hug the Dalai Lama, during an audience question session. Two translators help the leader understand the order. He says “OK, come on”, whereupon the boy climbs towards the platform he was sitting on. The authenticity of the video has not been verified.
Then, the Dalai Lama gestures to his cheek and says: “first here”. The boy then kisses her cheek while giving her a hug. Then, while holding the boy’s hand, the Dalai Lama touches his own lips with his index finger and says “I think here too” and kisses the boy on the mouth, giving a “peck”. Part of the audience applauds and the Dalai Lama laughs.
The Tibetan leader then leans his forehead against the boy’s, saying “and suck my tongue”. And he sticks out his tongue, again touching his forehead to the boy’s. As some people laugh, the boy sticks out his tongue before walking away, as does the Dalai Lama, who also laughs, patting the boy on the shoulder.
The Dalai Lama greets the boy, shaking hands, and then touches the back of his right hand to his cheek, thanking him in English: “thank you”. More hugs follow as the spiritual leader talks to the boy for a while, telling him that now he should “look to those good human beings who create peace and happiness. You must not follow human beings who always kill other people. You shouldn’t look at these people.” The boy nods. And the Dalai Lama pulls him into a hug. The boy after the hug moves away and both laugh.
According to the BBC website, sticking out your tongue can be a form of greeting in Tibet. The tradition, the site claims, dates back to the ninth century, when an unpopular king was known to have a black tongue. To prove that a person was not the reincarnation of this king, the tongue was shown. Today, the salute is a sign of respect, reports the BBC.
the incident
According to the BBC, the incident appears to have taken place at the Dalai Lama’s temple in Dharamshala, India, where he lives, on February 28. On the date, the Tibetan leader interacted with around 120 students who completed a skills training program organized by the M3M Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the real estate company M3M Group.
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