Dalai Lama Apologizes When Video of him kissing a boy surfaces

The Dalai Lama has issued an apology following the circulation of a video that showed him kissing a child on the lips and asking the child to “suck my tongue” at an event in northern India.

In a statement released on Monday, the Dalai Lama’s office expressed regret for any hurt that his words may have caused and apologized to the boy and his family, as well as to his many friends around the world.

The statement explained that the Dalai Lama often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. The incident occurred during an event in the city of Dharamshala in February and the video of the exchange went viral on social media, with many criticizing the spiritual leader’s behavior. In the video, the child asks to hug the Dalai Lama, who then prompts the child to kiss him on the cheek before inviting him on stage.