Two months after an incident put the 87-year-old spiritual leader in the center of controversy, he is speaking out. On Monday, the Dalai Lama issued an apology for telling a little boy to "suck" his tongue during an interaction in February that ended up raising a lot of eyebrows.
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The incident has been going viral on Twitter.
The meeting between the little boy and the Dalai Lama took place in February, but video footage of their exchange has only been making the rounds on Twitter over the past couple of weeks, as CNN reported.
They were at an event in Dharamshala, India, when the boy approached the Dalai Lama and asked for a hug.
Instead, he had the boy give him a hug and kiss, including one on the lips, before telling him, "and suck my tongue" as he poked his tongue out.
Now, the Dalai Lama is issuing an apology.
In the early hours of Monday morning, the Dalai Lama released a statement about what happened.
"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," read the statement, which was also shared via his official Twitter account. "His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident."
The apology may not be enough.
In fact, in a statement to CNN, Delhi-based group HAQ: Center for Child Rights said that it condemns "all forms of child abuse" and acknowledged that even though there are obvious cultural differences that need to be taken account, that doesn't apply in this situation.
"Some news refers to Tibetan culture about showing tongue, but this video is certainly not about any cultural expression and even if it is, such cultural expressions are not acceptable," the statement read.
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He's still receiving backlash about the situation.
The responses to his apology on Twitter really do say it all — many seem unwilling to accept it and want more to be done.
"Your recent behavior is unacceptable, specially since you are considered an authority figure and role model when it comes to moral behavior. The statement from your office is not only unacceptable, but also unsympathetic and remorseless," one person tweeted.
So far, the boy and his family don't seem have to spoken publicly.
However they feel about the incident, there's no doubt that the attention on this level is a lot to take in — and their opinion of the Dalai Lama's apology is ultimately what matters most.
Here's hoping that the spiritual leader (and those around him) will treat this experience as a lesson for the future.
