On Monday, the Dalai Lama issued an apology following the backlash on social media after a video showing him asking a boy to suck his tongue went viral.
In the video, the 87-year-old monk was seen kissing the child’s lips as he leaned in to show his respects. He then extended his tongue and asked the young boy if he could suck it.
“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 said.
“His Holiness often teases the people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident.”
— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) April 10, 2023
The video was filmed on February 28 during an event in McLeod Ganj, a suburb of Dharamshala city in northern India.
