# Tibet custom **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 11, 2023, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tibet-custom/982478 "2023-04-11T00:22:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tibet-custom/982478/1 "2023-04-11T00:22:51Z")
Is the following a Tibet custom? The Dalai Lama was in front of a crowd video-taped when he told some kid to “suck my tongue.” It’s in the [NBC.com](http://NBC.com) News articles right now. I hope the cultural context was right from Tibet. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tibet-custom/982478/2 "2023-04-11T00:35:58Z")
It was supposed to be a joke. > **[The Dalai Lama apologizes for asking a young boy to suck his tongue](https://www.npr.org/2023/04/10/1168962589/dalai-lama-apologizes-tongue-kiss)** > > The 87-year-old Buddhist high priest says he "regrets" kissing a young boy on the lips and asking him to "suck my tongue." A video capturing the incident went viral on social media, sparking outrage. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tibet-custom/982478/3 "2023-04-11T00:48:36Z")
I found the bit below. Tongue sucking is not a part of the tradition: > Sticking out one’s tongue is a sign of respect or agreement and was often used as a greeting in traditional Tibetan culture. According to Tibetan folklore, a cruel ninth-century Tibetan king had a black tongue, so people stick out their tongues to show that they are not like him (and aren’t his reincarnation). - [SOURCE](https://cross-currents.berkeley.edu/e-journal/issue-13/Bernard/photo/tibetan-greeting) I read elsewhere this greeting is not normally used in a group setting but I cannot find the citation for it so not sure. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tibet-custom/982478/4 "2023-04-11T01:01:09Z")
That’s a lotta weird for a joke. “I got your nose” not cutting it anymore? (Let me guess- it’s a zen thing. 🙄 ) ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2023, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tibet-custom/982478/5 "2023-04-11T03:00:34Z")
nevermind ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tibet-custom/982478/6 "2023-04-12T01:29:12Z")
The Dalai Lama has a long history of being playful with kids. And I mean that in a non-creepy way. The forehead touching thing is a blessing and an honor for a Lama to bestow it on one. It’s an incredible honor for the DL to take off his hat and give a blessing. The video’s I’ve seen of the hug are nothing out of the ordinary for anyone hugging a child. The tounge was a bit odd but followed up with another forehead touching. I for one give the 89 year old DL the benefit of the doubt that he was being playful. In my experience of multiple trips and about 6 months total in Tibet in the 1980’s, it is a common Tibetan greeting to stick out your tounge maybe a quarter inch or so and [bite down on it smiling](https://d11vyokdyewbcr.cloudfront.net/2167907_large_4e1b3316.jpg). This photo the tounge protrudes more than I remember, but the smiling/bite down is right. ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tibet-custom/982478/7 "2023-04-13T00:31:23Z")
What you wrote sounds good in the context of the video. I should visit Tibet sometime soon as it makes the most sense when I’m there.