The Dalai Lama has apologised to a young boy and his family after a video of the Tibetan spiritual leader kissing the child and asking him to "suck my tongue" went viral.
"His Holiness wishes to apologise to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused," the apology tweeted on the Dalai Lama's account says.
"His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras.
"He regrets the incident."
The ABC has verified the video and understands it was from a public event in Dharamshala, India, where a number of journalists were present in late February.
The Dalai Lama's statement said the young boy asked for a hug.
The video shows the Dalai Lama saying "kiss here" and pointing to his cheek prompting the boy to hug and kiss him.
He then points to his lips, saying "then I think finally here also", and pulls the boy's chin towards him to kiss him on the mouth.
After kissing the boy the video shows the Dalai Lama asking him to "suck my tongue" and poking his tongue out at the boy.
He then hugs the boy twice and says, "thank you, we are the same humans, brothers and sisters".
The video only went viral over the weekend, causing outrage online with many people expressing "shock" over the "inappropriate" behaviour.
Others expressed concern that dignitaries in the background of the video were laughing and clapping, and did not try to stop the incident.
In Tibet, sticking out your tongue has been a traditional greeting since the 9th century and is seen as a form of respect.
The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibet and has been living in exile in northern India's Dharamshala since 1959 after a failed uprising against China.
His Holiness is due to turn 88-years old in July, but has not appointed a successor as China tries to gain political power over the process.
In 2019, the Dalai Lama suggested a woman could be the next reincarnation, but apologised for saying she would have to be "attractive".
