A video of the Dalai Lama kissing a boy prompts an apology

The Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibet, has expressed regret after backlash from a video showing him kissing a boy on the lips.

The Dalai Lama, the head of Tibetan Buddhism, issued an apology on Monday following backlash over a video showing him kissing a young kid on the lips.

The 87-year-old leader expressed remorse for the event and sought 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," according to a statement released on his official website.

The incident happened in February at an open assembly at the exiled leader's temple in Dharamsala, the Tsuglagkhang temple. When the youngster requested to give him a hug, he was answering questions from the audience.

The youngster was encouraged to come up to the platform the Dalai Lama was sitting on. He pointed to his cheek on the video, and the kid kissed him before giving him a hug.

The Dalai Lama then extended his tongue and invited the kid to kiss him on the lips. As the youngster sticks out his own tongue and leans in, the Dalai Lama can be heard saying, "And suck my tongue," drawing hilarity from the audience.

His behaviour was criticised as disrespectful and frightening by social media users when the video went viral.

The Dalai Lama's actions, according to SNAP, the national support group for victims of clergy abuse, were "horrifying." The group issued a statement saying, "Our first concern is with the innocent youngster who was the target of this abhorrent request by a revered spiritual person.

In old Tibetan culture, greeting someone by sticking out one's tongue was commonplace, but it is not as frequent today.

The Dalai Lama released a statement that read, "His Holiness frequently teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras."

Since leaving Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese control in 1959, the Dalai Lama has made the mountain town of Dharmsala his base of operations. Despite hosting Tibetan exiles, India views Tibet as a part of China.