The Dalai Lama has apologized after a video of him asking a young boy to “suck his tongue” surfaced online, sparking global outrage. In the bizarre video, a young boy approached the Dalai Lama and asked him for a hug. The Dalai Lama then asked for a kiss on the cheek, and then on the lips before asking the boy to suck his tongue. Many are condemning this action, claiming that it only perpetuates the trend of religious figures being only mildly reprimanded for inappropriate relations with children.
The Dalai Lama’s actions are made even worse when considering the fact that he is the holiest figure in all of Tibetan Buddhism, similar to the Pope in Catholicism. His followers believe that the spirit of the Dalai Lama is reincarnated in a new body every time the previous Dalai Lama passes away. So although he is the 14th Dalai Lama, Buddhists believe that he contains the same holy spirit.
It is the responsibility of the Dalai Lama to spread a message of hope and peace to his followers through public statements and appearances. According to the official website of the Dalai Lama, his main message is one of positivity and spiritual bliss. “He advocates the cultivation of warm-heartedness and human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline,” it reads, vastly contrasting with the Dalai Lama’s recent actions.
On the Dalai Lama’s Twitter account, his staff issued a formal apology for the incident on his behalf. “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,” it reads. “His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident.”
It was later revealed that the anonymous boy was with the Indian charity group M3M, who work to provide equal opportunities to disadvantaged Indians, especially children. Dr. Payal Kanodia, a trustee of the foundation, was quick to forgive the Dalai Lama’s actions, believing that the visit was an overall positive experience. “We’re totally blessed to have got this blessing from his Holiness,” she said. “He came, addressed us in person, taught about peace that the world needs and how everyone needs to feel together like brother and sister.”
However, this is not the Dalai Lama’s first scandal. In 2018, he said that “Europe belongs to Europeans” in response to an influx of African refugees seeking shelter in Europe. “…receive them, help them, educate them… but ultimately they should develop their own country,” he said. This sparked outrage, especially considering that the Dalai Lama himself fled his home province of Tibet after China invaded the area.
Additionally, he stated in 2015 that if there ever were to be a female Dalai Lama, “her face should be very, very attractive.” Then, in 2019, he reiterated his point, saying that a female Dalai Lama would need to be attractive or else she would be “not of much use.” When asked if he was aware that his comment was misogynistic and degrading to women, he responded simply, “Yes, I think both.”
This most recent incident has resulted in worldwide disgust, with many American celebrities condemning the Dalai Lama’s actions. Rapper Cardi B tweeted her thoughts on the matter shortly after the video came out. “This world is full of predators. They prey on the… ones who are most unknowing, our children,” she said. “Predators could be our neighbors, our school teachers, even people wit[h] money, power & our churches. Constantly talk with your kids about boundaries and what they shouldn’t allow people to do to them.”
However, this is far from the first time a religious figure has acted inappropriately towards children.
The Roman Catholic Church is infamous for its cover-ups of child sexual abuse cases, some tracing back decades. The first major mention of such a case comes from a 2002 investigative journalism article by Michael Renezdes of the Boston Globe. The Pulitzer Prize winning article discusses the trial of former priest John Geogan, who abused over 130 young grammar school boys.
Geogan was reassigned to St. Julia’s grammar school even after the church had ample evidence of his predatory behavior towards children. After being assigned to the school, Geogan frequently provided help to busy mothers of large families by taking the children out for ice cream or putting them to bed. It was during these times that he would routinely sexually abuse the young boys in his care.
The most well known case of this abuse was the seven Jamaica Plain boys. Geogan abused the boys for months before their younger sister told their mother. However, when she came forward, she was told that Geogan was too important to be accused of these misdeeds. Other parents received similar responses. Some were assured that proper action would be taken, but Geogan faced no consequences from the Church.
Part of the reason that Geogan didn’t go to court earlier was because at the time, priests and other Church officials were exempt from the Massachusetts law that forced all sexual abuse to be reported to the state. So, even though the church had documents proving that Geogan was a sexual predator, they weren’t required to do anything with them.
This issue still continues today with the recent release of a case in Maryland. A church in Baltimore covered up the sexual assaults of over 600 young boys over several decades.
Anthony Brown, the Attorney General of Maryland, condemned the church’s actions in a statement. “It is clear that the church valued the denials of the abusers over the claims, the complaints, [and] the credibility of the abuse. There’s no doubt about that,” Brown stated.
All of these incidents beg the question: Why are religious figures often held to a different standard when it comes to the sexual abuse of children? Is it because people see them as more pious than regular people? Does the position come with moral immunity? Or is it the fault of the law that fails to hold them accountable?
No matter the reason for this discrepancy, it is the moral responsibility of people in power to speak out against sexual abuse, especially in religious institutions. Church officials must speak out for the victims that can’t and stop the destructive cycle of child abuse running rampant through various religious institutions. Furthermore, officials must take action when it comes to these types of cases to ensure that the abuser never gets the chance to touch another child. Nothing excuses the abuse of a child; not even religious status.
