The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s 87-year-old spiritual superstar, has apologized after a video surfaced showing him suggesting a young boy “lick my tongue” at a public event. Oops!
“A video has gone viral that captured a recent encounter between a young boy and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, where the wide-eyed youngster asked for a hug,” stated a tweet from the exile’s leader, boasting 19 million eager followers.
His Holiness is deeply sorry to the boy, his family, and his numerous fans worldwide, for any distress his cheeky statement may have caused.
The wise leader explained that he loves to joke around and tease folks he meets, even when he knows the cameras are rolling. He now regrets that particular tongue-in-cheek incident.
In the controversial clip, the peace-loving Nobel laureate also appears to plant a loving smooch on the boy’s lips, as the delighted crowd claps and chuckles, captured for posterity on someone’s ever-handy smartphone. The video has been viewed over a million times on Twitter, but Reuters has not verified its authenticity.
As a quick refresher, the Dalai Lama left Tibet in 1959 after an unsuccessful attempt to resist Chinese rule, resulting in Beijing branding him a risky rebel. Since then, he’s been tirelessly seeking global support to preserve the unique culture and language of his beautiful homeland.
Nowadays, the spiritual leader can be found residing at a cozy hillside compound, surrounded by lush greenery and majestic mountains, in the scenic Indian town of Dharamshala.
