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Is Dalai Lama's 'suck my tongue' a traditional Buddhist greeting? An ancient tradition that morphed into global firestorm

The Dalai Lama's office issued an apology following the backlash over the February meet-and-greet in the northern Indian city of Dharamshala

DHARAMSHALA, INDIA: Supporters of the Dalai Lama have rushed to his defense after the spiritual leader was caught on video asking a boy to "suck" his tongue, sending shockwaves across the global Tibetan community. Many insist the clip is being misinterpreted and that the practice of sticking out one's tongue is traditionally used as a greeting in Tibetan culture.

The Dalai Lama's office issued an apology following the backlash over the February meet-and-greet in the northern Indian city of Dharamshala. The video in question shows the 87-year-old leader being approached by a young boy for a hug when he asks the child to kiss him on his cheek. After that, the Dalai Lama points to his lips and says, "Here also," before holding the boy's chin and kissing him on the lips. He then says, "suck my tongue" before sticking his tongue out, causing the crowd to burst out laughing. The Dalai Lama then hugs the child again.

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“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,” the Dalai Lama's press office said in a statement following the backlash online, adding, “His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident."

Is Dalai Lama's 'suck my tongue' a traditional Buddhist greeting?

According to the Institute of East Asian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, sticking out one's tongue is traditionally a sign of respect or agreement and has long been used as a greeting in Tibetan culture.

The most famous Western cultural reference to this tradition came in the Brad Pitt-starrer film 'Seven Years in Tibet', according to the Independent. In the film, Pitt's character is greeted by a group of children who stick their tongues out at him. The movie, however, doesn't offer any further context for their actions.

According to Tibetan folklore, Buddhists began sticking out their tongue to disassociate themselves from the 9th-century Tibetan king Lang Darma, who was notorious for his cruelty and was said to have had a black tongue. People in Buddhist culture believe in reincarnation after death, and so the tradition is said to have taken root as a way for people to show they were not Lang Darma reincarnated and shouldn't be associated with his evil deeds. That said, there is no mention in this folklore of sucking the tongue.

MEAWW previously reported how an Oregon woman sued an influential Buddhist monk who allegedly asked her to suck his tongue before groping and raping her, claiming that it was all part of “tantric empowerment." The lawsuit alleged that Choying Rabjam conducted private one-to-one tutoring sessions with her that would take her learning to a new level. She was apparently told to sit in his lap, straddling him face-to-face, and was instructed to suck his tongue “like a lollipop." He told her it was the art of “priming her lotus."

'It's been our traditional way of greeting'

In light of the controversy surrounding the Dalai Lama, one Tibetan living in India told Vice News anonymously that Tibetans often greet each other with their tongues out. “It's been our traditional way of greeting,” they told the outlet. “I have also seen [the Dalai Lama] being playful with Tibetans. For us, it is sad that it has been misinterpreted by the international community. The event was held more than a month ago, why are we seeing this just now?” they added.