Nothing undercuts your spiritual street cred and status as a Nobel Peace Prize winner like an unfortunate “suck my tongue” request to a minor. The Dalai Lama, His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, is known for many great things… but this is not one of them.
The office of the Dalai Lama issued a statement today apologizing to a boy and his family after a strange viral video surfaced from a recent encounter in which the Dalai Lama asked the boy to “suck my tongue”. The incident took place at an event in the city of Dharamshala after the boy approached the Dalai Lama and asked him for a hug. The 87 year old then responded by kissing the boy on the lips, and sticking out his tongue with the odd request.
The statement from his office explains that the Dalai Lama “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.” It further adds that “His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident.”
He may also come to regret merely apologizing for the “words” of the encounter, as online commenters have pointed out. Many are also frustrated with the description of the incident as “playful”. Some are even calling for him to be stripped of his title, according to TMZ.
This is not the first time in recent memory that the Dalai Lama has faced controversy. He also apologized in 2019, after the possibility was brought up of him being succeeded by a female Dalai Lama. He replied that she “should be more attractive.”
It seems even one of the world’s foremost spiritual leaders is not immune to inappropriate jokes and actions in old age.
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