Dalai Lama apologizes after video asking child to ‘suck’ his tongue sparks outcry.

[Curious George]

I... think he has to die first?

And the Panchen Lama was stowed away by the Chinese government.

 

[Sand Dancer]

I... think he has to die first?

Oh. Oh my...

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Daily lamas

 

[syo]

How old is this wreck?

 

[Brickjectivity]

It's just a prank, bro!

What kind of prank involves getting a child to suck on an old man's tongue - especially after kissing this old man on the lips. This kind of brazen behavior in the public eye makes me suspect this isn't the first time it's happened

I agree, however without understanding the particulars, the culture, the kid, etc...I am unwilling to instantly presume that this was an attempt to molest a child.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Omg, who cares about culture. It's bizarre and creepy regardless. What culture says it's okay for non-related older adults to grab little kids and kiss them on the lips? Um, none that I can think of.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I agree, however without understanding the particulars, the culture, the kid, etc...I am unwilling to instantly presume that this was an attempt to molest a child.

And it's unlikely he would do anything like that in front of cameras.

 

[dybmh]

Here is the actual video so people can judge for themselves. I cued it to the important part.

The kiss seems harmless. The tongue thing is wierd, but not sexual.

 

[sayak83]

Dalai Lama apologizes after video asking child to 'suck' his tongue sparks outcry | CNN

The Dalai Lama has apologized after a video emerged showing the spiritual leader kissing a child on the lips and then asking him to "suck my tongue" at an event in northern India.

www.cnn.com

What do you make of this?

That it's Tibetan culture?
Tibetan greeting | Cross-Currents
Probably he tried to be funny or something and it came out wrong. His English is very very poor actually.
People are talking about the Tibetan tongue greeting amid Dalai Lama incident

 

[Zwing]

Tongue sucking aside, you really must look into conventions for men kissing each other on the lips (in a nonsexual way) before condemning the act as inappropriate.

Yeah, I feel sure there must be some certain “cross cultural communicative cross up” going on here which we can’t readily discern. Even if the man harbored perverted fantasies (as some of the posts above seem to suggest), he is well travelled enough and smart enough to know how such behavior would be broadly perceived if he thought it wrong. Now, I certainly cannot imagine any cultural context within which such tongue-sucking (as the instant type) would be considered appropriate, but then in like manner I cannot imagine any cultural context wherein a woman with lips so stretched out that she can fit large clay “plates” into them is considered beautiful, even though such cultural contexts exist.

 

[dybmh]

Now, I certainly cannot imagine any cultural context within which such tongue-sucking (as the instant type) would be considered appropriate

I think it's the saliva. This is tibetian buddhism, known for tantra which considers body fluids sacred especially coming from a holy person. It's not too weird to consider it holy or curative or establishing a spiritual connection. Both Jesus and Muhammad are known for healing this way.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I... think he has to die first?

Wow, you took this to a dark place. I refuse to condone this assassination suggestion of yours.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Dalai Lama apologizes after video asking child to 'suck' his tongue sparks outcry | CNN

The Dalai Lama has apologized after a video emerged showing the spiritual leader kissing a child on the lips and then asking him to "suck my tongue" at an event in northern India.

www.cnn.com

What do you make of this?

Welp...nobody's perfect. I'd assume it was an epically bad joke, some level of cultural misconnection (although I'm not accepting the whole 'this is a problem because of Western perspectives' thing), and perhaps a sprinkling of age.

I'm waaaay less worried about the sort of things done in public than the ones behind closed doors, generally.

Ultimately, building humans up to be 'special' is kinda a bad idea.

Tangential, but it will be interesting to see what happens on his death. Based on the search for the Panchen Lama back in the late 80s, this won't go over well. The CCP is going to meddle in very direct ways, and you may end up with a schism, a revolt, or the decay of the institution entirely.

 

[Zwing]

I think it's the saliva. This is tibetian buddhism, known for tantra which considers body fluids sacred especially coming from a holy person. It's not too weird to consider it holy or curative or establishing a spiritual connection. Both Jesus and Muhammad are known for healing this way.

Ummm…not knowing whether to say “lmao” or not, I’ll just say “I’ll buy that for a dollar!”

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Yeah, I feel sure there must be some certain “cross cultural communicative cross up” going on here which we can’t readily discern. Even if the man harbored perverted fantasies (as some of the posts above seem to suggest), he is well travelled enough and smart enough to know how such behavior would be broadly perceived if he thought it wrong. Now, I certainly cannot imagine any cultural context within which such tongue-sucking (as the instant type) would be considered appropriate, but then in like manner I cannot imagine any cultural context wherein a woman with lips so stretched out that she can fit large clay “plates” into them is considered beautiful, even though such cultural contexts exist.

Sticking out one's tongue is a Tibetan sign of respect. Asking him to suck on it may have been playful, if their culture doesn't practice tongue kissing.

Tibetan greeting | Cross-Currents

cross-currents.berkeley.edu

 

[dybmh]

Ummm…not knowing whether to say “lmao” or not, I’ll just say “I’ll buy that for a dollar!”

I understand. But now you have the context. Primitive, perhaps laughable by modern standards. But certainly not perverse, and not without precedent in western civilization.

 

[PearlSeeker]

Dalai Lama apologizes after video asking child to 'suck' his tongue sparks outcry | CNN

The Dalai Lama has apologized after a video emerged showing the spiritual leader kissing a child on the lips and then asking him to "suck my tongue" at an event in northern India.

www.cnn.com

What do you make of this?

Maybe a Freudian slip when trying to be funny. Celibacy means voluntary deprivation of not just sex but also tender and loving touch.