(CMR) Buddhist priest the Dalai Lama (87) has apologized for kissing a young boy on the lips and asking him to “suck my tongue” after a video of the incident sparked outrage.
A statement from his office said the Dalai Lama “regrets the incident” and 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,” the statement adds.
A video of the incident shared widely on social media shows a young boy approaching the Dalai Lama during an event, asking him for a hug. The leader calls him on stage and motions to his cheek, saying, “first here,” according to an NPR report of the translation. The boy obliges, and the Dalai Lama offers a hug, then continues holding onto the boy.
The priest then motions to his lips, saying, “I think here also.” He then cups the boy's chin and kisses him on the mouth as the audience laughs and applauds. The Dalai Lama then adds, “And suck my tongue.” The boy slowly moves his head closer to the Dalai Lama's but appears only to touch his forehead before withdrawing.
Many have called the incident that happened at an event in February at the Tsuglagkhang Temple complex, where the Dalai Lama resides, disgusting and abusive.
In attendance were more than 120 students who completed a skills training course hosted by the M3M Foundation — a charity arm of a prominent Indian real estate group.
According to NPR, the Dalai Lama has been the center of controversy before. In 2018, he said the rising level of African refugee migrants should return to their own continents, declaring that “Europe belongs to the Europeans.” And the following year, he apologized after telling the BBC in an interview that, should he have a female successor, she “should be more attractive.”
The Dalai Lama has resided in the green, northern, hillside Indian city of Dharamshala since 1959, after an unsuccessful Tibetan uprising against Chinese occupation. He has spent a lifetime advocating for Tibetan autonomy and has taken steps to ensure that the mission doesn't die with him.
Though he has dreams of living to 113, he plans to consult with his advisers around age 90 for instructions about finding his successor.
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