The Dalai Lama, the Buddhist leader of Tibet, apologized Monday for a viral video in which he appears kissing a child on the lips.
The incident occurred at a public event in February at the Tsuglakhang temple in the Indian city of Dharamsala, where the exiled spiritual leader lives.
Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso was listening to questions from the audience when a boy asked if he could hug him.
The spiritual leader then invited him to go up to the platform where he was sitting.
In the released images, it is seen that he approaches her face and apparently gives her a kiss on the lips.
Then he seems to ask her for a kiss with a gesture.
He is then heard saying "suck my tongue" jokingly, and sticks out his tongue.
The boy approaches later, drawing laughter from the audience.
The Dalai Lama arrives at the Tsuglakhang temple to give a sermon in Dharamsala, India, Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Ashwini Bhatia / AP
In a statement on his official website, the 87-year-old spiritual leader regrets the incident and apologizes to the boy and his family, "as well as his many friends around the world, for the pain his words may have caused." ”.
The video generated rejection on social networks, where users described his behavior as inappropriate and disturbing.
"His Holiness of her often jokes around with people she knows, in an innocent and playful way, even in public in front of cameras," she said on her website.
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The Dalai Lama has lived in Dharmsala, on a hillside, since he fled Tibet after a failed uprising against the Chinese government in 1959. India views Tibet as part of China, although it accepts Tibetan exiles living there.