The Dalai Lama is a title given to the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. It is believed to be the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. The current Dalai Lama, as of my knowledge cutoff date of September 2021, is Tenzin Gyatso, who was born in 1935 in Tibet. He was recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama at the age of two and has been a prominent figure in both the religious and political spheres.
The Dalai Lama is known for his teachings on Buddhism, peace, compassion, and mindfulness. He has been an advocate for non-violence, human rights, and environmental issues. He has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to promoting peace, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
The Dalai Lama has also been involved in seeking greater autonomy for Tibet and advocating for the rights of Tibetans, who have faced challenges in their struggle for cultural and religious freedom under Chinese rule. He has been living in exile in India since 1959, after escaping from Tibet during a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
Please note that the political and social landscape related to the Dalai Lama and Tibet-China relations can change over time. It's always best to refer to up-to-date and reliable sources for the most accurate and current information on this topic.
The Dalai Lama has issued an apology after a video of him kissing a child sparked a controversy.
https://twitter.com/DalaiLama/status/1645312490597937152?s=20
The widely circulated visuals showed the Nobel Peace Prize laureate sticking out his tongue and asking the boy to suck on it while the latter was paying his respects.
Netizens expressed shock and disapproval of the incident, with many terming the action as “creepy”, “disgusting”, and “repulsive”. Users also commented on the troubling behaviour of other people seen in the footage, who seemed unperturbed by the incident.
The Dalai Lama is known to be a man of peace. However, the recent actions of the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people has caused a huge hue and cry, with some people calling him out and terming him “disgusting”, “outrageous” and “creepy”.
Tongue in cheek?
A video has emerged on social media showing the Dalai Lama kissing a child on his lips and then asking him to “suck his tongue”. According to a report published by News.com.au, the bizarre interaction took place last month during an event for India’s M3M Foundation.
The video shows the 87-year-old Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India’s Dharamshala, addressing students and followers. A young boy then approaches the microphone and asks, “Can I hug you?”
The Buddhist monk then calls him on stage and first hugs him, followed by the boy giving him a kiss on the cheek. The video, which has now gone viral, shows the Dalai Lama planting a kiss on the boy’s lips. He is then seen sticking his tongue out as he asks the minor to suck it. “Can you suck my tongue,” he is heard asking the boy in the video.
The footage has sparked a flurry of reactions — ranging from outrage to defending the monk. Some have called the Dalai Lama’s actions creepy, while his supporters insist that he was “joking around” with the boy.
Twitter user Joost Broekers wrote, “So the Dalai Lama is kissing an Indian boy at a Buddhist event and even tries to touch his tongue. He actually says ‘suck my tongue’. Now, why would he do that?”
Another Twitter user Rafael Goldstone tweeted, “Disgusting video emerges of Dalai Lama kissing a little boy on the mouth and asking him to ‘suck his tongue’. These insidious false prophets are being exposed.”
A third Twitter user Jas Oberoi wrote on the social media platform, “What am I seeing? Is this Dalai Lama? Needs to be arrested for pedophilia. Disgusting.”
Some Twitter users also called out the behavior of the other people in the video who were seen smiling and clapping as the boy was kissed by the Dalai Lama. As one netizen wrote, “But people there are smiling and clapping nor bemused by the act.”
The Dalai Lama has responded to the outrage and his office has put out a statement apologizing for his actions. "His Holiness 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."
The statement added, "His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident."
An unusual greeting?
In trying to defend the Dalai Lama’s actions, some netizens said that the kiss may actually be a form of Tibetan greeting. In fact, sticking your tongue out is a way of greeting people in Tibet.
It has been a tradition since the 9th Century, the time of an unpopular king called Lang Darma, who was known for his black tongue. Buddhists believe in reincarnation and they feared that the cruel king would be reincarnated. Consequently, Tibetans greet one another by sticking out their tongues to show that they don’t have black tongues and are not incarnations of the wicked king.
The traditional greeting is now a form of respect.
Also read: A new book on the Dalai Lama serves a glorious life story in bite-sized anecdotes
Dalai Lama, a man of controversies?
The 87-year-old Dalai Lama hasn’t been free of controversies. The spiritual leader, who was recently in the news for naming a US-born Mongolian boy as the 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche — the third highest rank in Tibetan Buddhism, has been mired in rows in the past too.
In 2019, the Dalai Lama was in the midst of a sexism scandal when he was interviewed by the BBC and reiterated his comments on a female successor. When asked about his successor, he had said his future successor can be a woman but must be “very attractive” or she would be of “not much use.” He also added that if she were not attractive, “people, I think, prefer not to see her… that face.”
He later apologized for his comments, with his office saying, “His Holiness genuinely meant no offense” and that he’s “deeply sorry that people have been hurt by what he said and offers his sincere apologies.”
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