The Dalai Lama made headlines this week when video showing him kissing a boy on the lips and asking the child to suck on his tongue went viral.
The incident happened at a public gathering back in February at the Tsuglagkhang temple in Dharamsala, where the Tibetan spiritual leader has lived since 1959. He was taking questions from the audience when the boy asked for a hug.
The Dalai Lama invited the child up on stage for a hug then asked for a kiss him on the lips and stuck out his tongue. “And suck my tongue,” he said as the boy leaned in.
Many found the incident disturbing, including Rosie O’Donnell, who took to TikTok to share her thoughts on the matter.
“What the f*ck?” she says in the video. “That’s the end of the Dalai Lama, if you ask me. Goodbye, Dali.”
“What the f*ck is going on behind closed doors?” O’Donnell asks, before suggesting the 87-year-old suffers from a “compromised mental state.”
Since the video went viral, the Dalai Lama’s camp has issued a statement saying he regrets the incident and wants 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.”
But the mea culpa hasn’t gone over so well with the public.
Officials from SNAP, the national advocacy group for victims of clergy abuse, said they were “horrified” by the Dalai Lama’s behavior. “Our primary concern is with the innocent boy who was the subject of this disgusting request by a revered spiritual figure,” the group said in a statement.
Meanwhile, right wingnuts on Twitter have somehow found a way to make the whole thing about Democrats through some acts of truly impressive mental gymnastics…
Doesn't this sound like something Nancy Pelosi would want for your average American citizen? Why do you think she loves the Dalai Lama so much? None of them have anything negative to say about their political viewpoints. Which is why they both hated Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/NEdgrfySdh
Dalai Lama took a selfie with disgraced democrat Mayor, Patrick Wojahn, charged with child pornography. Birds of a satanic feather flock together! pic.twitter.com/4NEPYgiuKm
Several media outlets have noted that sticking out one’s tongue was a greeting in ancient Tibetan culture, although it’s not something people commonly do anymore.
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Agree the tongue-sucking joke was ?? creepy to do to a child, as an adult I would laugh if I was asked or knew how he joked, as for organized religions hard pass here
As much as that woman irks me, I have to agree here. I have no other explanation for this sick “joke” besides Dalai Lama forgetting there were people and cameras around. I can tell you from experience, there’s two things that can reveal a person’s true feelings if they have been hiding them: liquor and dementia.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to polish off a bottle of Trump Vodka before I update my Twitter status. I plan to say nice things about transgendered folks today.
Hilarious that the “media” is dragging up allegedly “ancient” tradition to try and explain why a man would tell a child to suck his tongue. That doesn’t seem odd?
Every organized religion is steeped in child rape of some kind.
Do some googling about it, christianity and catholicism are real easy because it’s an almost daily occurrence to have arrest made here in the usa, but islam has their “dancing boys” and judaism has their mohels who circumcise baby boys then fellate them.
Hindu and buddhists followers often gift there young prepubescent sons to temples where they are expected to perform sexual favors. And the families have been brainwashed into believing that they will be blessed if they do this.
If folks took the time to actually research organized religion they would be absolutely horrified to find out just how prevalent child rape is within these institutions of so-called enlightenment.
Profits, power and predation are the foundations of ALL organized religions, to believe otherwise makes you either a fool or an accomplice.
Agree with all you’re saying here. Just one note: Catholicism is the oldest form of Christianity but I’m glad you did mention Christianity in general because as the scandals with the Mormon Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, etc. all underscore, it isn’t just the Roman Catholic hierarchy and clergy who’re guilty of abuse and cover ups.
Seems like a slur campaign to me. After reading his books and listening to many of his talks I would trust this man with my life. He is truly a holy man and very spiritually advanced as a human being.
Buddhist monks are every bit as much a pedophile cabal as the Catholic Church. Possibly more so. Their trick is to do it virtually in the open. All those young pre-pubescent monks are not there just for prayer.
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FreddieW
Yes, it’s disturbing. Never had much use for the Dalai Lama, nor for “celibate” clergy in any religion.
johncp56
Agree the tongue-sucking joke was ?? creepy to do to a child, as an adult I would laugh if I was asked or knew how he joked, as for organized religions hard pass here
Toofie
Rosie’s right. Creepy and nasty.
DonaldTrump
As much as that woman irks me, I have to agree here. I have no other explanation for this sick “joke” besides Dalai Lama forgetting there were people and cameras around. I can tell you from experience, there’s two things that can reveal a person’s true feelings if they have been hiding them: liquor and dementia.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to polish off a bottle of Trump Vodka before I update my Twitter status. I plan to say nice things about transgendered folks today.
Diplomat
The sex lives of the spiritually/religiously famous: pedos. How truly unfortunate.
ShaverC
Hilarious that the “media” is dragging up allegedly “ancient” tradition to try and explain why a man would tell a child to suck his tongue. That doesn’t seem odd?
LegionKeign
Every organized religion is steeped in child rape of some kind.
Do some googling about it, christianity and catholicism are real easy because it’s an almost daily occurrence to have arrest made here in the usa, but islam has their “dancing boys” and judaism has their mohels who circumcise baby boys then fellate them.
Hindu and buddhists followers often gift there young prepubescent sons to temples where they are expected to perform sexual favors. And the families have been brainwashed into believing that they will be blessed if they do this.
If folks took the time to actually research organized religion they would be absolutely horrified to find out just how prevalent child rape is within these institutions of so-called enlightenment.
Profits, power and predation are the foundations of ALL organized religions, to believe otherwise makes you either a fool or an accomplice.
Kangol2
Agree with all you’re saying here. Just one note: Catholicism is the oldest form of Christianity but I’m glad you did mention Christianity in general because as the scandals with the Mormon Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, etc. all underscore, it isn’t just the Roman Catholic hierarchy and clergy who’re guilty of abuse and cover ups.
Cam
Bright side, as a fallback he can always apply to be an Evangelical Youth Pastor or a Catholic Priest.
Kangol2
This whole episode was and is so creepy it does make one wonder if this is how he behaves when the cameras are off.
marshal phillips
The Dalai Lama can Eat Me!
Rikki Roze
Seems like a slur campaign to me. After reading his books and listening to many of his talks I would trust this man with my life. He is truly a holy man and very spiritually advanced as a human being.
Joshooeerr
Buddhist monks are every bit as much a pedophile cabal as the Catholic Church. Possibly more so. Their trick is to do it virtually in the open. All those young pre-pubescent monks are not there just for prayer.