International- The Dalai Lama has apologized to a young boy and his family over a viral video.
- In the video, the religious leader is seen asking a boy to suck his tongue.
On Monday, The Dalai Lama — the exiled leader of Tibetan spiritual Buddhists — apologized for a video in which he asked a young boy to suck his tongue.
"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," reads a statement tweeted from the Dalai Lama's official Twitter account.
"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 post continued.
"His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras," the statement added. "He regrets the incident."
It's unclear when the video in question was recorded, but the clip has been circulating on social media for over a week. Representatives for the Dalai Lama did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
In the video, the Dalai Lama can seen at an event kissing a boy on the lips, before caressing the child's chin and pressing their foreheads together. After the exchange, the spiritual leader pats the boy on the arm and says, "Suck my tongue."
He sticks his tongue out and the boy moves closer, drawing laughter from the audience. The clip then cuts out and does not show the rest of the exchange.
A separate clip of another part of the exchange shows the same boy being lectured by the Dalai Lama about the way to seek happiness. The boy is then seen hugging the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama, a Nobel laureate, has spent more than six decades in exile. Now 87, he preaches primarily from his base in northern India.