Dalai Lama Apologizes for Inappropriate Actions

The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He’s known around the world for his dedication to peace. Now he’s apologizing after a video circulated of him making an inappropriate remark to a little boy.

On April 10, the apology was posted on the Dalai Lama’s Twitter account. It said that “His Holiness” wanted to express his apologies for the pain he caused. He claimed he “teases people” who meet him in an “innocent and playful way,” even when there are comments involved. The statement concluded by saying the Dalai Lama “regrets the incident.”

The apology stemmed from a video of the Tibetan spiritual leader meeting a young boy at a public event. The video shows the child asking him for a hug. The Dalai Lama points to his cheek, where the boy gives him a kiss and hug. Then he tells the child he can also give him a kiss “here” and points to his lips. Then after a few seconds, he sticks his tongue out and tells the little boy to “suck [his] tongue.” The boy touches his forehead to the spiritual leader’s and also sticks his tongue out. The video has received more than 1 million views on social media.

After the strange interaction, the spiritual leader tells the little boy that he should look up to people who “create peace [and] happiness” instead of murderers.

The Tibetan leader was hosting a group of students at his temple in Dharamshala, India. He lives in exile in the compound which sits next to the Dhauladhar mountains after he was forced to flee Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against China.

Critics have called the video of the interaction between the Dalai and the young boy “creepy” and “sick.” An activist in India claimed she was going to file a case against him.