The Dalai Lama 'can you suck my tongue'

[MeinKraft]

A video is going round of the Dalai Lama asking a young boy to suck his tongue. I kind of wish I hadn't watched it because now I feel a bit queasy!

He's released a statement saying '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.'

www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/story/dalai-lama-video-kissing-minor-boy-asking-him-to-suck-his-tongue-triggers-backlash-2357854-2023-04-09

I wasnt aware of this, where is the information?

Horrifying

Disgusting.

Trust no-one.

What else is now going to come to light ?

Dirty bugger!

I thought this - see how many more come out if the woodwork now - maybe nobody thought they would be believed before this.

My stepfather has dementia, doesnt go round fiddling with kids.

I read about it on a YewTree survivors group which I cannot link to for obvious reasons. I will try and find the original links when I have time this evening. It came out in 2018 when DL met abuse survivors in the Netherlands. Sorry if any details are incorrect. I will link when I get home later.

Was he joking?

Fucking hell. Even if he was ‘joking’ it’s a sick ‘joke’, especially as it involves a child. Surely you can see that.

The apology issued assures us the DL was being 'playful'. And it was 'innocent'.

I don't see it, myself, I mean, in what world does a grown man ask a child to suck a body part in play? Nope. That is neither playful nor innocent.

While I have no idea whether the DL has dementia or not and do not think this should be used as an excuse, saying ‘ my step dad has dementia and doesn’t behave like this’ is a completely useless and irrelevant comment. Dementia manifests in very different ways with different people. You can not expect everyone with dementia to behave like your ‘stepdad’. Unfortunately there are some people with dementia that may experience changes in how they respond to sex, be inappropriate or aggressive, mistake a person for someone else, or behave sexually in public, that’s not a fact. Some but not all. Just wanted to point that out but personally think the DL has been a bit suspect for a while. ☹️

The intent or the reason behind it isnt that relevant though because abuse has still taken place, a child was put in a position of being requested to be physically intimate with someone/an adult, and an adult in a position of power to them

It certainly needs addressing, whether there is a physical reason behind his behaviour like MH or dementia, whether his judgement is really poor and he thinks that is playful or whether he is intending to sexually abuse children

Wrong on all levels. No excuses!! Abusive behaviour should never get overlooked

Absolutely disgusting behaviour. Poor kid.

So awkward to watch

😳 don't think Paul next door asking little 8 year old Sarah to suck his tongue would get away with saying it was a joke. How can that be a joke?!

I agree with this

Michael Jackson was hiding in plain sight. We were aware of his abusive childhood it was no secret but to claim as he did and those around him did (it allowed them to lead comfortable lives) that becuase of this he was still a child himself this is why he loved sleepovers and hanging around young boys. I was pulled into this narrative and I really didn’t want to believe he was an child sexual abuser but he was regardless of his incredible talent and fame

This is so disturbing.

At best it’s very odd.

I agree this was inappropriate and it may be time to choose the next Dalai Lama. I don't personally agree either with the worshipping of an individual as this can lead to weird behaviour. However, I'm sorry for Tibetans that this has happened as the DL is culturally important within and outside China and the Chinese government will be delighted.

Each Dalai Lama is literally the rebirth of the previous one. He is a Buddha who has chosen to stay in this world out of compassion. (I don't believe this personally, just saying what Tibetan Buddhists believe). It is a massive thing for this character to have done anything wrong and will be hard to reconcile with their beliefs about him.

Yep.

But I’m fed up with abusive men being able to hide behind religion because this is how it’s always been done/ the religion says so. Same with hiding behind cultural reasons. Same with hiding behind (mental) illnesses. Might explain, but it doesn't excuse or make it ok. Ever.

Even if it was dementia, the child would be less likely to experience PTSD/long term trauma if the people around the DL had been shocked/appalled, led him away, explained to the boy that the DL has dementia and this should not have happened, that they will make sure it does not happen again because it is wrong, that they did not expect his dementia to cause him to behave inappropriately with a child, that they are sorry and it’s clearly time for him to ‘rest privately’ and step down from duties, and they regret that he didn’t step down before this happened.

People with dementia sometimes do act in sexually inappropriate ways but it doesn’t stop it being inappropriate or traumatic for the child. It also doesn’t entirely make it their fault, they’re unwell. But if that were the case- even if it had never happened before- ESPECIALLY if it had never happened before- that would be the time for all the adults to swiftly remove the child, speak with him, and recognise something needs to change immediately.

Seeing the crowds all frozen like they are zombies watching this assault take place right in front of their eyes without saying or doing anything was awful. Religion really is the opiate of the masses. They all looked bewitched or drugged by this conman.

I wouldn't have kids anywhere near them.