The spiritual leader and head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, the Dalai Lama, is at the centre of a scandal after a video of him asking a young boy to suck his tongue went viral online, know the meaning of the Tibetan tongue greeting
On February 28, 2023, the event happened in the Dalai Lama’s temple in Dharamshala, India. He was talking to more than 100 students who had just finished a training programme put on by the M3M foundation.
A small boy walks up to the Dalai Lama and asks for a hug in a video that has since gone viral. When the boy asks what to do, the spiritual leader tells him to kiss his face first.
Tibetan tongue greeting meaning as Dalai Lama kissing boy video goes viral
A video of the Dalai Lama is circulating of him sexually assaulting a young boy. In the video, he demands the child to “suck my tongue”. Sadly, this comes as no surprise to me.
– The Dalai Lama endorsed the NXIVM sex trafficking cult.
– Just like Jeffrey Epstein, he has ties… pic.twitter.com/UYmEPxtA4m
— LIZ CROKIN (@LizCrokin) April 10, 2023
Then they give each other a hug, and while still holding the boy’s hand, the Dalai Lama moves for a kiss on the lips and then kisses the child’s forehead. The Dalai Lama then puts his tongue out and tells them, “Suck my tongue.”
— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) April 10, 2023
Because of this event, many people are now wondering what the Tibetan tongue welcome is all about. Sticking out your tongue is a sign of agreement or respect in Tibetan society. But it’s not usually used in a group, and it doesn’t explain why the Dalai Lama asked the boy to suck his tongue.
The history and significance of the Tibetan Tongue greeting
In Tibetan tradition, sticking out one’s tongue goes back to a king who had a black tongue and a cruel heart in the ninth century. People would stick out their tongues to show they were not the spirit of the cruel king and did not have a black tongue. Tibetans now often greet each other with their tongues.
Dalai Lama Inundated With Requests From Public Libraries To Lead Story Hours https://t.co/kZ1wjUYbjY pic.twitter.com/J1UQCCJjfh
— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) April 10, 2023
The Dalai Lama has since said on his official Twitter account that he is sorry if his words hurt the child or his family in any way. In the statement, the spiritual leader apologised for what happened and said he would think about what he did.
Dalai Lama controversy sparks debate on social media
It’s important to know that the Dalai Lama is a respected person in Tibetan Buddhism and has been a champion of human rights and nonviolence for a long time. But this event has made people think about what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour and how things are done in different cultures.
People are talking about the video a lot on social media, with some saying the Dalai Lama’s acts were harmless and others saying they were wrong. As with any controversy involving a public person, it’s important to look at the situation from all sides and try to understand what’s going on.