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The Dalai Lama has found himself involved in yet another scandal. A widely circulated video on the internet showed that the Dalai Lama asked a young boy to suck his tongue in a disgusting manner during an event. The young boy requested a hug, and after hugging and touching foreheads, the Dalai Lama did not let go the boy but continued to hold him, clearly saying to the boy, "Suck my tongue." He then extended his tongue and moved his head forward, and the boy initially seemed hesitant but did it anyway.

According to media reports, the video was taken on February 28 in a suburb of Dharamshala city in northern India. After the video went viral on social media and sparked outrage, the Dalai Lama's office in Dharamshala was forced to issue an official apology. However, the apology did not mention the vulgar language used by the Dalai Lama, and even defended his behavior, stating that "his holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras."

This video makes people believe that it was not the first time that the 87-year-old Dalai Lama asked someone to kiss his tongue publicly, as it is not normal for a person to request such an intimate act from a young boy in a public event. However, the details of the Dalai Lama's private life are unknown to the public, as he has carefully crafted his image in Western media. In 2019, he also faced controversy when he said in an interview with the BBC that "if a female Dalai Lama comes, she should be more attractive." He was later forced to apologize for his statement.

The author is a commentator with the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn