“A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. 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 may have caused. His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident,” says the Dalai Lama’s office in a statement.
Problem is however that, per the BBC, it wasn’t simply a “hug” that the 87 year-old Señor Lama asked for but he told the boy “suck my tongue” in public, on camera, as the kid received a blessing from the 14th reincarnation of of Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.