Dalai Lama apologises for asking boy to suck his tongue

[MenInG]

The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama apologised on Monday after a video which showed him asking a boy to suck his tongue triggered a backlash on social media.

The video, which has gone viral on social media, shows the Dalai Lama, 87, planting a kiss on the boy’s lips as he leaned in to pay his respects.

The Buddhist monk is then seen sticking his tongue out as he asked the child to suck it. “Can you suck my tongue,” he is heard asking the young boy in the video.

The video is from an event in McLeod Ganj, a suburb of Dharamshala city in northern India, on February 28.

“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,” said a statement posted on his verified Twitter account.

“His Holiness often teases the people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras,” it added. “He regrets the incident.”

Twitter users slammed the video, calling it “disgusting” and “absolutely sick” after it started trending on Sunday.

“Utterly shocked to see this display by the #DalaiLama. In the past too, he’s had to apologise for his sexist comments. But saying — Now suck my tongue to a small boy is disgusting,” wrote user Sangita.

Another poster, Rakhi Tripathi, said: “What did I just see? What that child must be feeling? Disgusting.”

The Dalai Lama remains the universally recognised face of the movement for Tibetan autonomy.

But the global spotlight he enjoyed after winning the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize has dimmed and the deluge of invitations to hobnob with world leaders and Hollywood stars has slowed, partly because the ageing leader has cut back on his punishing travel schedule, but also due to China’s growing economic and political clout.

Beijing accuses him of wanting to split China, and has referred to him as a “wolf in a monk’s robe”.

In 2019, the Dalai Lama apologised for saying that if his successor were to be a woman, she would have to be “attractive”. The comments, which were criticised around the world, were made in an interview with the BBC.

AFP

 

[Champ_Pal]

Dalai Lama also falls victim to twitter angry mob. He probably forgot he lives in SJW world now. Man probably thinks he is still in 1940's.

 

[Poseidon]

Dalai Lama also falls victim to twitter angry mob. He probably forgot he lives in SJW world now. Man probably thinks he is still in 1940's.

but why he asked a boy to suck his tongue ?

 

[KingKhanWC]

but why he asked a boy to suck his tongue ?

Official response

"His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident," his office said.

In the video which has circulated online, the boy is seen asking if he can hug the Dalai Lama. The leader motions to his cheek, saying "first here" and the boy kisses his cheek and gives him a hug.

Then, while holding the boy's hand, the Dalai Lama motions to his lips and says "I think here also", and kisses the boy on the lips.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-65229327

The man is a fraud and his actions were disgusting. Why do people allow their children to get so close to people they dont know?

 

[MenInG]

From NDTV

Tibetan culture and tongue greetings

According to a 2014 BBC article, sticking out your tongue can be considered as rude, but in Tibet, it's a way of greeting. It has been a tradition followed by the Tibetan people since the ninth century, when the region was ruled by Lang Drama, who was known for a black tongue, said the outlet.

After the death of the king, the locals started showing their tongues when asked to confirm that they are not like him (or his reincarnation).

The Institute of East Asian Studies, UC Berkeley, also mentions this in its 2014 piece. The institute said on its website that sticking out one's tongue is a sign of respect or agreement and was often used as a greeting in traditional Tibetan culture.


Other controversies involving the Dalai Lama

In 2019, the Dalai Lama apologised for saying that if his successor were to be a woman, she would have to be "attractive". The comments, which were criticised around the world, were made in an interview with the BBC.

In the same year, he also triggered a controversy after saying "Europe belongs to the Europeans" on the issue of immigrants. The spiritual leader made the remarks at a conference in Malmo, Sweden, and said refugees should return to their native countries.

In 2018, he said that Mahatma Gandhi wanted to give the prime ministership to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, but Jawaharlal Nehru refused as he was "self-centred". He added that India and Pakistan would have remained united had Mahatma Gandhi's come true. The Tibetan spiritual leader later apologised for his remark.

The Dalai Lama remains the universally recognised face of the movement for Tibetan autonomy. He fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet, is regarded by Beijing as a separatist.

Last month, the Dalai Lama named an eight-year-old US-born Mongolian boy as the 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche, the third highest rank in Tibetan Buddhism.

 

[The_KING]

Absolutely disgusting, but not surprising.

 

[pillionrider]

I spent a few years exploring Indian spirituality.

And the deeper you went, the more perverse the stories that emerged around so-called enlightened beings. Perverse by our current standards. Not that I consider this Dalai Lama a very spiritual person. But making a broader point.

I've often wondered about the sexual element that invariably seeps into most of them. Except perhaps, Swami Vivekanada whom I at least now respect as a great human being despite turning cynical about his views on enlightenment.

 

[sweep_shot]

Incredibly disturbing and disgusting.

Unacceptable.

 

[daytrader]

Dalai Lama defended over tongue-sucking remark

A top Tibetan leader has defended the Dalai Lama over a video that showed him asking a child to suck his tongue.

Penpa Tsering, head of Tibet's government-in-exile, has called the spiritual leader's actions "innocent" and said it demonstrated his "affectionate behaviour".

The video sparked outrage after it went viral on social media, with users calling his actions inappropriate.

The Dalai Lama's office has apologised over the incident.

On Thursday, Mr Tsering said the Dalai Lama's actions had been misinterpreted and that the controversy had hurt the sentiments of his followers.

He also said that the Dalai Lama has always lived in "sanctity and celibacy" and that his years of spiritual practice had taken him "beyond the sensorial pleasures".

Mr Tsering also claimed that investigations suggested "pro-Chinese sources" were behind making the video go viral on social media. He gave no evidence for the claim. He added that the "political angle of this incident cannot be ignored."

Though the incident appears to have taken place at the Dalai Lama's temple in Dharamshala on 28 February, the controversial video went viral on social media earlier this month. It has been viewed over a million times on Twitter.

In the video, the Dalai Lama can be heard asking the boy to kiss him on his cheek and then his lips after the boy asks if he can give him a hug.

The leader then put his forehead to that of the boy's, before sticking out his tongue, saying "and suck my tongue".

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65272213

 

[Firebat]

China: Dalai Lama furore reignites Tibet 'slave' controversy

An online backlash to the Dalai Lama has rejuvenated a long-running controversy over Tibetan history and boosted a Chinese government narrative.

The Tibetan Buddhist leader has faced widespread criticism after a video surfaced showing him kissing a young boy and asking him to suck his tongue. The Dalai Lama has since expressed regret.

The incident has sparked significant online vitriol against the spiritual leader.

While much of it centres on the video, accusing him of inappropriate behaviour and child abuse, a significant portion of the criticism accuses him of complicity in "slavery", using highly disputed definitions seen in Chinese propaganda.

There are also concerns that overall, the online backlash is fuelling anti-Tibet sentiment.

Activists say that while many of the talking points have long existed online - propagated by pro-China accounts - they are now attracting a wider audience as the video controversy renews global attention on Tibet.

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-65307709