'Suck my tongue': Dalai Lama lambasted after video shows him kiss young boy on lips

[Polybius]

Source: USA Today

The Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of the Tibetan community, apologized Monday after bizarre video of him kissing a young Indian boy on the lips and asking him to suck his tongue went viral.

Video shows the Noble Peace Prize winner sitting in a chair with the unidentified boy standing directly in front of him and several people surrounding them including one holding a cell phone.

While holding the boy's hand, the Dalai Lama points to his mouth and kisses the boy on the lips. People in the background are then heard clapping and laughing.

The leader then rests his forehead on the boy's forehead, before sticking out his tongue, saying "and suck my tongue".

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2023/04/10/dalai-lama-boy-kiss-video/11634769002/

[CTyankee]

1. geez. the things ya just don't know about people...

[LoisB]

2. Geez, Louise! What next?

[JI7]

3. Time to retire

[Rebl2]

4. Yep

Maybe past time

[mzmolly]

5. Disgusting.

[Bluethroughu]

18. Pukable.

[Lokilooney]

6. Did he recently convert to Catholisism?

[Roy Rolling]

7. WTF? Apology Not Accepted

Last edited Mon Apr 10, 2023, 10:50 PM - Edit history (1)

This is the most disturbing thing I’ve heard, maybe ever. Why did he do that?

[keopeli]

8. He's just playing with a kid. He's not molesting him! There are tons of people watching and laughing

Anything taken out of context can be strange. Put it in context and he was playfully having a laugh with a little boy. No harm at all.

Now, if someone can demonstrate that the Dali Lama was trying to abuse the boy in front of the crowd, I'm open to hearing it. Short of that, I'm sticking with the decades of genuine love and heroic defense of the poor and troubled people in this world that have led me to know him as a genuinely great man with a message of love, respect, and morality.

[SunSeeker]

10. How is asking a boy to suck his tongue "just playing"? How is that funny?

The very young boy had asked for a hug, not a kiss, let alone a French kiss.

The Dalai Lama is always surrounded by followers. I imagine the 87 year old forgot himself. People do crazy shit in public. Just because he did it in public does not mean it was ok. Trump does all kinds of criminal shit in public.

The Dalai Lama can be heroic in the defense of the poor and still be a pedophile.

[Roy Rolling]

11. Adults don't tell children in public to suck their tongues

Nobody said it was molesting, they said it’s disgusting. I’m aware of many strange cultural traditions, the leader of a spiritual movement wanting his tongue sucked is a first for me.

[pnwmom]

13. Watch this and tell me if you still think that.

He might have convinced himself it was just play, but he crossed the line.

[Bluethroughu]

19. No way, gross grooming.

The kid wanted a hug, and was given kiss and told to suck his tongue, but at first rejected the notion but did it because no adult in the room said no way! That's grooming!

It wasn't okay.

[Javaman]

17. ah no. stop trying to explain away disgusting behavior. nt

[intheflow]

21. I'm with you.

Ill-advised but I agree this was probably taken out of context. Looked like something my grandpa wouldn't have done, and he was the least creepy old person I ever met as a child. This kind of thing would make me laugh and laugh. So, yeah, there's a difference between a grandparent and a spiritual leader, and also, you absolutely can't hear what the kid said to him, we only hear the Dalai Lama's response, so it could have been an innocent, playful response. We can't see the kid, or his expression, but his body language doesn't indicate he's scared or intimidated. The vapors over this remind me of Republicans who called Biden a pedophile for touching his grandchildren.

Okay, DUers, someone alert on this post for comparing this incident to Biden's touching his grandchildren. Because I'm sure I'll get jumped on for cheering pedophilia and being a closet troll in 3, 2, 1...

[newdayneeded]

25. WTF!!

[pnwmom]

27. Here is all the context you need.

The boy's body language shows he was clearly reluctant, and the laughing adults only made it worse.

Maybe you didn't see the whole thing and that's why you think it was taken out of context.

Disgusting.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3058372

[Pinback]

9. Creep. Get lost.

Also:

And in 2018, the outlet reported, he
was criticized for suggesting Europe should be for Europeans only while discussing the subject of African refugees.

- https://www.newsweek.com/dalai-lama-says-europe-europeans-refugees-should-go-home-and-rebuild-1120065

[True Dough]

12. He had enough self-restraint

to stop at tongue! At least on that day in those circumstances.

[NJCher]

14. Completely, totally, wholly

Inappropriate.

Needs to go. No excuse for this, not in any culture under any circumstances.

I do agree with an upthread post that addresses the advanced age issue, but even if that was it, he still needs to go.

Ugh, the whole thing makes me sick.

[Javaman]

16. just ewwww on so many levels.

just confirms my atheism

[Bluethroughu]

20. Me too.

[AZ8theist]

22. THAT WAS GROSS

And ONCE AGAIN, I have reinforced my non-belief and my anti-religion viewpoint.

[Jose Garcia]

23. Perhaps it's time to reincarnate

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

24. EWEWEWEWEWEWEWEW

Who even thinks something like that, as a joke or not?

Count me as another lining up in the "more reason to be an atheist" queue.

[newdayneeded]

26. Here and on several other threads there

are people defending this behavior. absolutely unbelievable!

[Richard D]

28. I encourage everyone to watch the entirity of this video

There was no inappropriate behavior.

[markpkessinger]

29. Thank you for this. n/t