Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, 87, apologized today after a video surfaced showing him kissing a boy on the mouth.
A statement published on his official website said he regretted the incident and wanted to "apologise to the boy and his family, as well as to his many friends around the world for the harm his words may have caused."
The incident took place at a public meeting in February at the Cuglakhang temple in Dharamsala.
A boy asked him if he could hug him, after which the Dalai Lama invited him to climb onto the platform where he was sitting and kissed him on the mouth.
The video shows the Dalai Lama continuing to touch the child's lips after which he stuck out his tongue with the remark "suck my tongue".
The audience watched the whole incident with a smile.
The video drew harsh criticism on social media with comments saying his behavior was inappropriate and that it was harassment.
"His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and in front of the cameras," the Dalai Lama said in a statement.
The Dalai Lama has lived in Dharamsala since he fled Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
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