Viral Video Of Dalai Lama Kissing Minor Boy On Lips Sparks Outrage: Clear Lack Of Boundaries!

A viral video of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, kissing a minor boy and then asking him to "suck his tongue" has sparked severe outrage across the globe. Since the release of the controversial video last night, the Dalai Lama has been receiving backlash from netizens.

The video shows a minor boy asking the Dalai Lama if he could get a hug. The Dalai Lama calls him on stage and asks the boy to kiss him on the cheek. Then the Dalai Lama kissed him on the lips as the boy leaned forward to pay his respects. Then the Dalai Lama sticks out his tongue and says, "Suck my tongue?" The boy hesitated, and then the Dalai Lama is seen laughing it off "playfully." The spiritual leader is then seen hugging the boy again before letting him go.

Netizens have been expressing their anger and disbelief over the Dalai Lama’s act. They called it "disgusting," "creepy," and "paedophilia." A few netizens pointed out that sticking out the tongue is a Tibetan way of greeting. But isn’t asking a child to "suck his tongue" sickening?

On Monday afternoon, an apology statement has been tweeted by the Dalai Lama's Twitter handle regretting the incident. "His holiness wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world for the hurt his words might have caused." The statement also read that he often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way even in public and before camera.

Excuse me, but in what way is this "innocent and" "playful?" And this is called "teasing?" Wow! Coming from someone who is regarded honourable, this is deceptive!

Dalai Lama Kissing Minor Boy On Lips

This is visibly creepy, but for argument's sake, let’s say that the Dalai Lama only intended to be playful with the child. In what way is asking a kid to "suck your tongue" playful? The boy asked for a hug, but does that mean an adult can take advantage of the situation and do something like this? Today, we are talking about teaching children about boundaries and consent. A third person asking a child to "suck their tongue" isn’t funny, playful, or affectionate.

Clearly, there is a power dynamic between the two—the Dalai Lama being older and a spiritual leader holds more power than the boy, who is just a child. What if the child wanted to say no but couldn’t because he was confused and scared? What if the child didn’t know that he could say no? What if the boy thought that he shouldn’t say no because it was him who asked for a hug? This is straight-out intruding into a child’s personal space and boundaries by taking advantage of the situation! Regardless of the intention, this is distinctly unacceptable!

More complete footage pic.twitter.com/BoCasIrZQy

— Ÿyñē Sùn (@NiSiv4) April 8, 2023

This incident is extremely problematic and misleading, given that it happened in public. Shouldn’t there be some kind of social responsibility when one is in an influential position? The video shows the Dalai Lama saying, "You should look at those good human beings who create peace and happiness. You should not follow those human beings who always kill other people." Well, that's good advice, but isn’t respecting consent and boundaries equally important?

This is not the first time the Tibetan spiritual leader has landed himself in a controversial situation. In 2019, the Dalai Lama, while speaking to a British broadcaster, remarked laughingly that "if a female Dalai Lama comes (as his successor), she should be more attractive." Later, his office issued an apology stating that the Dalai Lama is "deeply sorry if people have been hurt by what he said" and that it was a "misunderstood joke."

Doesn’t this seem like a pattern? Saying or doing something and then calling it a "joke?" Sometimes, abuse is veiled as a "joke." Initially, it could seem harmless and funny, but it could be demeaning and hurtful to the person on the receiving end. While this kind of subtle abuse is often discussed in the context of romantic relationships, it is applicable to any kind of relationship or interaction.

It is disheartening and unfortunate to hear laughter erupt from the crowd in response to the Dalai Lama’s interaction with the boy. Why didn’t anybody call out this problematic incident? What is there to laugh about in this? This shows how society is ignorant of consent and boundaries, and we are just letting go of instances like this as if nothing happened. What if that boy didn’t feel comfortable but was confused because people just laughed it off?

Why are people hesitant to stand up against something as creepy as this when it happens right in front of their eyes but are readily calling this out on social media? Is this what influence can do? – Shut people’s mouths? This is extremely concerning, given that the boy could have been scarred for life!

Suggested Reading: Dalai Lama Feels Sorry For His Comment On ‘Female Successor’

Views expressed by the author are their own