The interaction, which took place at the end of February at the Dalai Lama’s temple in Dharamshala, was attended by about 100 young students who had just graduated from the M3M Foundation in India.
The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the holiest figure in Tibetan Buddhism and has lived in exile in India since 1959, when Tibet was annexed by China.
In a video that went viral, one of the young students approached a microphone at the event and asked the Dalai Lama, “Can I hug you?”
The 87-year-old Dalai Lama told the boy to climb onto the platform where he was sitting. Beckoning to his cheek, he is heard saying “here first”, after which the child kissed him and gave him a hug.
The Dalai Lama held the boy in his arms, saying “I think here too” and then kissed him on the lips. “And suck my tongue,” the Dalai Lama then said, sticking out his tongue, face to face with the student. The boy quickly stuck out his own tongue and walked away as the Dalai Lama laughed and pulled the boy in for another hug as the audience laughed.
The spiritual leader then spoke to the boy, advising him to look to those who create “peace and happiness” and not follow “human beings who are always killing other people”, before giving him a final hug.
As the video spread across the internet, it was condemned by many, who called it “inappropriate”, “scandalous” and “disgusting”. The controversy prompted an apology from the Dalai Lama’s office, which said his behavior was “innocent and playful”.
In a statement, it says: “His Holiness wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as to his many friends around the world, for the pain his words may have caused. “His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and in front of the cameras. He regrets the incident.”
The Dalai Lama has faced controversy before. In 2019, he sparked protests after suggesting that if the Dalai Lama returned as a woman, she “should be more attractive”, for which his office apologized.
