An uncomfortable video has emerged showing the Dalai Lama asking a young Indian boy to "suck my tongue".
The clip of the most senior spiritual figure in Tibetan Buddhism was recorded during an event in northern India's hillside city of Dharamshala back in February.
The clip went viral today, with many on social media slamming the weird interaction, in which the figurehead kisses the young lad on the lips before making the disturbing request.
A statement from the Dalai Lama's office today said he "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".
It added that the 87-year-old "regrets" his actions.
The statement said that "his Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras."
The video begins with the lad, who can be no older than 10 or 11, approaching the teacher.
He then asks him "Can I hug you", which the Dalai Lama responds to by inviting him on stage.
Once in front of him, the Nobel Peace Prize winner points to his cheek and says "first here" as he prompts the boy to kiss and hug him.
He then points to his lips and says "then I think finally here also".
Next he pulls the boy in for a kiss on the lips, before apparently joking, saying, "And suck my tongue", before poking his out of his mouth.
A prominent Delhi-based childrens' rights group, Haq, told CNN the incident has been blamed on a form of "cultural expression" in Tibet, but one that is "not acceptable".
A Haq statement reads: “Some news refers to Tibetan culture about showing tongue, but this video is certainly not about any cultural expression and even if it is, such cultural expressions are not acceptable.”
The boy's identity is unknown, but the incident happened at a charity event in Dharamshala, which the Dalai Lama now calls home after being exiled from China-controlled Tibet.
Despite being the most prominent Buddhist in the world, the Dalai Lama's life has not been without controversies.
During a BBC interview in 2019, he said that should he be succeeded by a female, that she should be "more attractive".
“If female Dalai Lama comes, then (she) should be more attractive,” he said before making a grimace.
He later apologised, with his office saying: “His Holiness genuinely meant no offense."
The statement added: “[He is] deeply sorry that people have been hurt by what he said and offers his sincere apologies."
In the same interview, he also took a swipe at now indicted American, but then US President, Donald Trump, saying he "lacks moral principle".
“One day he says something, another day he says something, but I think (there’s a) lack of moral principle,” the Dalai Lama told the BBC.
