Tibetan Leader Says Dalai Lama Is ‘Beyond The Sensorial Pleasures’ In Response To Tongue-Sucking Controversy

After the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, landed himself in a tongue-sucking controversy, a Tibetan political figure is now rushing to the spiritual leader’s defense.

RELATED: Dalai Lama Apologizes After Video Shows Him Kissing A Minor Boy, Then Asking Him To Suck His Tongue

‘Pro-Chinese Sources’ Are Blamed For The Clip Going Viral

According to Reuters, Penpa Tsering — the leader of the exiled Central Tibetan Administration—says that people have seriously misinterpreted the Dalai Lama’s “innocent, grandfatherly, affectionate demeanor.”

Tsering noted that the 87-year-old is “beyond the sensorial pleasures,” as he’s committed to celibacy and spirituality. He also pointed out that the spiritual leader being “unfairly labeled with all kinds of names” negatively affects “the sentiment of all his followers.”

Regarding why the incident, which reportedly occurred in February, recently recirculated, Tsering blames “pro-Chinese sources” and declares, “the political angle of this incident cannot be ignored.”

For context, China and Tibet have a turbulent history centered on China laying claim to Tibet. Following the 1959 Tibetan Uprising, the Dalai Lama was exiled to India.

The Dalai Lama’s Initial Apology Did Little To Quell The Controversy

As The Shade Room previously reported, the Dalai Lama caught backlash after a video emerged of him interacting with a young boy. According to reports, the boy wanted to hug the spiritual leader.

However, the Dalai Lama asked for a kiss on the cheek, and the child obliged.

That wasn’t the end of the ordeal, though. Afterward, the Dalai Lama kissed the child on the mouth and then invited him to “suck” his tongue.

After the situation went viral, the Dalai Lama apologized “for the hurt his words may have caused.” The statement also suggested that the tongue-sucking request was merely an “innocent and playful” joke, though he “regrets the incident.”

“A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. 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 His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident.”

However, many people weren’t satisfied with this explanation, and he was nonetheless called a “predator” who committed a “molestation.”