Dalai Lama Apologizes Over an Exchange with a Child 

News Dalai Lama

In the video, the Dalai Lama sticks out his tongue and asks the boy to "suck" it. His office called the behavior "innocent and playful."

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama apologized on Monday after a video circulated on social media of the spiritual leader kissing a boy on the lips and telling him, "Suck my tongue." The interaction took place in late February at the Dalai Lama's temple in Dharamsala, India, with about 100 young student graduates of the Indian M3M Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the real estate company M3M Group, in attendance.

In the video, a young boy approaches the microphone and asks if can hug the Dalai Lama. The 87-year-old points to his cheek, saying "First here," after which the child kisses his cheek and hugs him. The Dalai Lama then points to his lips and says, "I think here also" and pulls the boy's chin and kisses him on the mouth. He then tells the boy "And suck my tongue," sticking his tongue out, forehead to forehead with the boy. The Dalai Lama then laughs and pulls the boy in for another hug.

As the video went viral, many condemned the spiritual leader's actions, calling it "inappropriate," "pedophilic," and "disgusting." Others have decried the criticism, arguing that the Dalai Lama's actions have been misinterpreted. Sticking one's tongue out is a traditional greeting in Tibet, according to NPR.

In response to the backlash, the Dalai Lama's office issued an apology 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 did not mention the kiss or extended tongue, only that the boy asked the Dalai Lama for a hug. It continues, "His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident."

The spiritual leader has drawn criticism for public remarks in recent years, including in 2015, when he joked in an interview with BBC that any future female Dalai Lama should be "very attractive." When pressed about the comments in a later 2019 interview with BBC, the Dalai Lama reaffirmed his belief that a female Dalai Lama "should be more attractive." His office later issued an apology for the remarks.

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I am quite dissapointed and surprised that Tricycle would publish this same news that media is promoting without exploring more deeply. It is a tragic case of misunderstanding and misrepresention by media. The error was in not understanding the cultural context and the Dalai Lama's poor English skills. "Eat my Tongue" is an expression used when you wish to give all you can to another. Nothing sexual about eat. Unfortunatley His Holiness mispoke and said suck. I am also surprised I have not heard or read any of our treasured teachers in the West speak out to help clarify this. Here is a beautiful response from a Tibetan friend Sonam Zoksang that might help with understanding.In considering the situation over the past few days, I’ve come to realize it is all about the prism. Out of the critics, there were some well meaning people said that His Holiness the Dalai Lama's action was an inappropriate or tone-deaf mistake, while others were fueled by malice to destroy him. By stark contrast, Tibetans and cultural/religious scholars have viewed it plain and simply: playful interaction.

I really think it all depends on what prism you are looking through. Either through a sensationalist mindset, or through the angle of an understanding of cultural context and, thus, HH the Dalai Lama's pure and jovial intention.

I am aware that cultural context is often invoked as a means to excuse unjustifiable acts. But it really does come down to that here, and a few minutes of research would demonstrate just this. HH the Dalai Lama always struggles with basic English vocabulary. I have witnessed that many times.Unfortunately, in this circumstance, a silly Tibetan saying ("Che le Jep or za") suck my tongue, did not translate appropriately in English, especially given the weight of the word.Would you ever do something in public(in front of an audience of cameras) that you believed to be wrong or believed would be misinterpreted? Absolutely not. The playfulness of His Holiness with his audience does not necessarily translate to a Western culture that has often been understandably traumatized by powerful leaders taking an advantage of their stature behind the public views or cameras. Sadly, this gross misinterpretation and misunderstanding has profoundly shattered the Tibetan world and people who respect and adore His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Further compounding misinterpretation were trolls and sensationalist media desperate for clicks and ratings, who aired an edited version that skewed reality. Some of those media fell into the vicious hands of trolls and the Chinese government, or were paid to do so.

We have been fighting for more than seven decades with truth as our tool to save our culture and free our country from the clutches of the Chinese government. We only get sympathy but no concrete action.

Now, I am seeing the profound outrage of Tibetans as never seen before. Many have been crying and deeply hurt and angry. Tibetans feel that not only has the world remained deliberately silent on the Tibet issue for all these years, but is now also actively fueling false sensationalism and letting media slander His Holiness without an iota of rationality. The unjustifiably cruel treatment of him was like a nail on the coffin.

Any ordinary person would be completely traumatized or demoralized and run away or hide from this world in such a situation. But I can say with full confidence that His Holiness feels only compassion for those who are attacking him. His routine hasn't changed a bit. As a matter of fact, he has been meeting with everyday people even after all the destructive negative publicity. His Holiness is in my opinion peerless as a human being. I say that not out of blind faith or idolization. I seek to exercise rationality in everything i do. I am a staunch believer in truth. Buddha said " Don't take my teachings for granted, Analyze like you do to find out the purity of gold".I have never seen a human being that has a strong positive belief in humanity and has an inexhaustible energy to promote compassion and oneness.

His Holiness doesn't get affected by flattery or demonization. He has seen it all. I can say with certainty that hardly anyone has seen and experienced the world of suffering more than His Holiness. As a young boy who was thrust into taking the responsibility for an entire nation under attack by Communist China. His Holiness has learned to be a master of his emotions and be far sighted in his thinking.

Many of us know that His Holiness wakes up at 3 in the morning every day and sets his motivation with his favorite prayers: " May I be of service to alleviate the suffering of all the sentient beings as long as space remains." ( Sorry- my poor interpretation!)

May His Holiness the Dalai Lama live a long and healthy life and continue to shine a light in this world.

This is a Tibetan's comment on what happened, giving some important context. I think we should at least consider what he says before passing judgment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT0qey5Ts78

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