When you do something wrong, it is important to apologize, especially if you are an important public figure. Just ask the Dalai Lama. His recent questionable actions with a young boy back in February surfaced via a video on the internet, and it quickly sparked outrage.
During a public event at the Tsuglagkhang Temple in Dharamsala, India, a young boy asked to hug the spiritual leader. The Dalai Lama invited him up to do so but took it a step further and asked the boy to kiss him and suck his tongue. He has issued an apology for this behavior.
The Dalai Lama issued an apology through this office. He “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.” He “regrets” his behavior. “His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras,” the statement attempted to explain.
The incident in question occurred back in February. The Dalai Lama was taking questions from the audience when the young boy asked to hug him. His Holiness invited him forward to do so. He pointed to his cheek, and the young kissed him and hugged him. The video then shows the Dalai Lama asking for a kiss on the lips and sticking out his tongue. “And suck my tongue,” the Dalai Lama requests. The boy sticks out his own tongue, which causes the rest of the audience to laugh.
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The identity of the boy is unknown at this time. The event was put on by the M3M Foundation, which is a philanthropic organization of Indian real estate company M3M Group. They have yet to comment on this incident. The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in Dharamsala since he fled Tibet in 1959 after attempting to overthrow Chinese rule.
