Do Tibetan monks greet each other by sticking out their tongues? What the experts say about the controversy following the video of the Dalai Lama kissing a child on the mouth

At the international level, the actions of the Dalai Lama continue to cause outrage because the most representative figure of Buddhism kissed a child on the mouth and asked to suck his tongue after the child approached to hug him. .

The event, which took place in February during an activity with the M3M foundation in India, was spread on social networks, where internet users took it upon themselves to denounce this kind of abuse, while others attributed it to the specific greeting used in Tibet .

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Stick out your tongue, greeting from the Tibetans

According to Alamy, Tibetans often stick out their tongues to greet other people, a cultural aspect that arose as Buddhists sought to distinguish themselves from members of the 9th-century Bon-Pon religion.

It is believed that the more the tongue stretches, the greater the respect you pay, so foreigners are always warned not to be offended by this action, as published on Viajes.

However, experts have also explained that this greeting has nothing to do with the viral video, the Delhi-based group told CNN, Hag: Center for Children’s Rights.

In turn, Abel Saraiba, the human rights defender’s psychologist-psychoanalyst, pointed out that the spiritual leader Tenzin Gyatso is a clear example of a “person using a position of authority” to subject a child to an uncomfortable situation that can destroy your mental health. threatens health. health.

“It doesn’t matter if you wear a cassock (…) any religious, political or cultural dress, nothing justifies aggression, much less sexual assault against adolescent girls,” he explained on his Twitter account.

The Dalai Lama apologized

In a statement released by the Dalai Lama’s office, the Buddhist leader apologized to the boy, his family and friends for any damage his words may have caused.

The Dalai Lama apologizes for kissing a boy and asking him to ‘suck his tongue’ in video that went viral

“His Holiness sometimes jokes innocently and playfully with people he knows, even in public and on camera. He regrets the incident,” the statement said.