NEW DELHI: A top Tibetan leader has defended Tibetan Buddhism spiritual leader Dalai Lama in the aftermath of a video showing him encouraging a toddler to suck his tongue.
Penpa Tsering, the president of Tibet’s government-in-exile, has described the spiritual leader’s conduct as “innocent” and “affectionate.” After the video went viral on social media, critics called his action disrespectful.
The Dalai Lama’s office has issued an apology for the incident. Tsering said on Thursday that the Dalai Lama’s actions had been misconstrued and that the dispute had hurt his followers’ feelings. He further stated that the Dalai Lama had always lived in “sanctity and celibacy” and that his years of spiritual practice have led him “beyond sensorial pleasures.”
Tsering holds pr-Chinese sources for viral video
Tsering further alleged that investigations revealed “pro-Chinese sources” were responsible for the video’s viral popularity on social media. He provided no proof to support his claim. He went on to say that the “political angle of this incident cannot be ignored.”
Though the incident appears to have occurred on February 28 at the Dalai Lama’s temple in Dharamshala, the contentious video became popular on social media earlier this month. On Twitter, it has received over a million views.
Dalai Lama can be heard in the video asking the youngster to kiss him on the face and then on the lips after the boy asks if he can hug him. The leader touched his forehead to the boy’s before extending his tongue, saying, “And suck my tongue.” The video sparked widespread outrage, with some human rights campaigners accusing the spiritual leaders of child abuse.
According to a statement sent by his office, the Dalai Lama wishes to apologize to the boy and his family “for any hurt his words may have caused.”
His office stated that His Holiness frequently teases people he meets innocently and playfully, even in public and in front of cameras. He is sorry for what happened. Since fleeing Tibet in 1959, following an uprising against Chinese control, the Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India.
He sparked controversy in 2019 when he declared in an interview with the BBC that any future female Dalai Lama should be “attractive.” Later, his office apologized for his statements.
