The Dalai Lama, pictured right here at a prayer ceremony in McLeod Ganj final week, has come underneath fireplace for visibly kissing a younger boy on the lips in a video that is been considered thousands and thousands of occasions.
AFP through Getty Pictures
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AFP through Getty Pictures
The Dalai Lama, pictured right here at a prayer ceremony in McLeod Ganj final week, has come underneath fireplace for visibly kissing a younger boy on the lips in a video that is been considered thousands and thousands of occasions.
AFP through Getty Pictures
The Dalai Lama has apologized for kissing a younger boy on the lips and asking him to “suck my tongue” after a video of the incident sparked outrage on social media.
The 87-year-old Buddhist priest “regrets the incident” and needs to apologize to “the boy and his household, in addition to his many associates the world over, for the damage his phrases could have brought about,” in response to an announcement revealed by his workplace on Monday.
“His Holiness typically teases individuals he meets in an harmless and playful approach, even in public and earlier than cameras,” the assertion provides.
Video reveals the Dalai Lama asking the boy to “suck my tongue”
A video of the incident shared extensively on social media reveals a younger boy approaching the Dalai Lama throughout an occasion, asking him for a hug.
The chief calls him on stage and motions to his cheek, saying “first right here,” in response to a dwell translation from the occasion. The boy obliges, and the Dalai Lama provides a hug, then continues holding onto the boy.
The chief then motions to his lips, saying “I believe right here additionally.” He cups the boy’s chin and kisses him on the mouth because the viewers laughs and applauds.
The Dalai Lama pauses, then provides, “and suck my tongue.” The boy slowly strikes his head nearer to the Dalai Lama’s however seems solely to the touch his brow earlier than withdrawing.
The incident occurred at an occasion in February on the Tsuglagkhang Temple complicated, the place the Dalai Lama resides. In attendance had been greater than 120 college students who accomplished a expertise coaching course hosted by the M3M Basis — a charity arm of a outstanding Indian actual property group.
The muse posted images from the occasion in early March, together with some with the boy from the video. M3M didn’t reply to NPR’s request for extra details about the boy’s id.
The video has been shared thousands and thousands of occasions on social media
The video unfold rapidly on social media, the place commenters have referred to as it “scandalous,” “disgusting” and “abusive.” No less than one tweet containing the video reveals it has been considered greater than 4.1 million occasions.
Within the U.S., the video has been shared by right-wing influencers as one other instance of pedophilia run rampant.
In Tibet, protruding one’s tongue is called a conventional greeting, stemming from a Ninth-century fantasy about an unpopular king with a black tongue.
When the king died, Tibetans started revealing their tongues to point out they hadn’t turn into his incarnate. Tongue-sucking doesn’t seem like a part of the custom.
The Dalai Lama has lengthy sat on the heart of controversy
Because the principal chief of the “Yellow Hat” college of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is among the many best-known non secular leaders on the earth. Followers of the non secular sect consider the present Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, to be the reincarnation of his 13 predecessors.
The octogenarian has sparked a number of controversies in recent times.
In 2018, he mentioned the rising degree of African refugee migrants ought to return to their very own continents, declaring that “Europe belongs to the Europeans.” And the next yr, he apologized after telling the BBC in an interview that, ought to he have a feminine successor, she “needs to be extra enticing.”
The Dalai Lama has resided within the inexperienced, northern, hillside Indian metropolis of Dharamshala since 1959, after an unsuccessful Tibetan rebellion towards Chinese language occupation. Beijing nonetheless regards Tibetan Buddhists with suspicion and hostility.
The Dalai Lama has spent a lifetime advocating for Tibetan autonomy and has taken steps to make sure that mission does not die with him. Although he has goals of dwelling to 113, he plans to seek the advice of together with his advisers round age 90 for directions about discovering his successor.
