All the Times the Dalai Lama Faced Controversy

The current Dalai Lama (real name: Tenzin Gyatso), has been living in self-imposed exile from India since 1959. Over the years, he's led an extraordinary life and has been a beacon of truth, enlightenment, and freedom for many people all across the world. When we think of the Dalai Lama, we think of a Nobel Peace Prize winner who is advocate for peace or maybe even someone who can give us a good quote about happiness here and there.

Unfortunately, his latest controversy, where the spiritual leader asked a boy to suck his tongue, sheds some light on his other inappropriate antics in the past. This recent incident reminds us that he hasn't been the perfect picture of goodness that many people think he is.

1| The Female Dalai Lama Should Be More Attractive

In an interview with the BBC back in 2015, the spiritual leader was asked what he thought of the possibility of a female Dalai Lama in the future. He simply replied: “I think female[s] should take a more important role and then – I told the reporter – if a female does come her face should be very, very attractive.”

2| The Female Dalai Lama Should Be Very, Very Attractive

The Dalai Lama was at it again in 2019. This time, he doubled down on his earlier comments. He claimed that a female Dalai Lama should be "very, very attractive." If she isn't she was said to be of "not much use." Yikes. He'd later apologize.

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3| Europe Is for Europeans

In the middle of the great refugee migration in Europe in 2018, the Dalai Lama said that we couldn't force Europe to be a "Muslim country. “I think Europe belongs to the Europeans," he said. He also stressed that refugees should go back to their native land to "rebuild" them.

“Receive them, help them, educate them... but ultimately they should develop their own country,” he explained, addressing the refugees.

4| Trump's Lack of Moral Principle

Well, maybe this is more controversial for MAGA hat-wearing Trumpsters. In another interview with the BBC back in 2019, the Dalai Lama went on to say that then-United States President Donald Trump had a "lack of moral principle." This came during a time when the Trump administration's treatment of young children at the U.S.-Mexico border was hogging the headlines. “America... should take a global responsibility," he furthered.

5| Asking a Young Boy for a Kiss (and Asking Him to Suck His Tongue)

In the latest controversy, a video surfaced online recently of an interaction between the Dalai Lama and a young boy in late February. In the clip, we can see a young male student at the Dalai Lama’s temple in Dharamshala, India coming up to the mic during an event. There, he asked if he could hug the Dalai Lama.

The 87-year-old spiritual leader proceeded to ask the boy to come up and kiss him. He went on to make an attempt to kiss the boy on the mouth. “And suck my tongue,” he would say after. The Dalai Lama even stuck his tongue out.

"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 office said in a release.

Hopefully, we've heard the last of these incidents.