The Dalai Lama’s Kissing Incident

The Buddhist Channel, 11 April 2023

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, has been caught in the midst of a controversy following a video that surfaced online showing him kissing a young boy. The video, which was reportedly recorded in February 2023, has sparked outrage online and raised concerns about the moral character of the revered religious figure.

The release of the video has prompted questions about why it was not made public sooner, and why it was released now. While the official office of the Dalai Lama has apologized¹ for the incident, the moral outrage expressed online by mainly western supporters cannot be easily dismissed.

The incident has gone viral internationally, and the backlash is threatening to tarnish the image of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism, with some even slanting the issue towards paedophilia and sexual improprieties.

China, who has been in a long-standing conflict with the Dalai Lama and Tibet, has remained largely quiet on the issue, possibly allowing the situation to play out on the international and social media stages.

The Dalai Lama, who is 87 years old, is known to be playful and jovial, and his supporters have attributed the incident to his advanced age, suggesting that he may be senile or afflicted with dementia. Some dementia patients are known to show "exhibitionist tendencies", such as inappropriate sexual behavior (ISB)², which is a relatively common and potentially disruptive form of behavior. It should also be noted that sticking out the tongue is a form of Tibetan greeting.

However, this does not excuse the incident, since it involved a minor. His minders and carers need to be more vigilant during public events to avoid similar occurrences in the future.

The online backlash towards the Dalai Lama reflects the anger of his mainly international supporters, who make up a significant proportion of his following. The incident has caused significant damage to the reputation of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism, and it remains to be seen how this issue will be resolved. However, it is essential to acknowledge the moral outrage expressed by those who support the Dalai Lama and work towards finding a solution to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.

Note:
1.  “Dalai Lama regrets asking boy to 'suck my tongue'”, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65229327

2.  Giorgi, R.D. & Series, H., "Treatment of Inappropriate Sexual Behavior in Dementia", National Library of Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4980403/

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