The Dalai Lama has apologised for kissing a young boy on the lips and asking him to “suck his tongue” at a public event in India.
The incident happened on February 28 at the Dalai Lama’s temple in Dharamshala.
Video of the event show the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize seated in a chair, while the unnamed youngster is standing in front of him, surrounded by numerous people.
The video shows the Dalai Lama kissing the youngster on the lips while holding the boy’s hand. The spiritual leader then places his forehead on the boy’s forehead and says, “And suck my tongue,” while sticking out his tongue.
“A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy who asked his Holiness, the Dalai Lama, if he could give him a hug,” said a statement from the leader’s Twitter account said.
“His Holiness wishes to apologise 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 read, adding that the spiritual leader “often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident”.
— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) April 10, 2023