My Chest Tightens
As I log into twitter, I see Dalai Lama trending. “Cool, the world is awakening, what a pleasant surprise?” Well, it didn’t take my joy to turn into dismay in a few minutes. This tweet fell into my feed.
Dalai Lama Tweet
I scroll down to the replies to see what this was all about. I see a video posted over and over again. I watch as the child is kissed on the lips by his “Holiness”. “Suck my tongue”, he says to the child who is probably around 8 or 9 years old.
My chest tightens instantaneously, as I watch an 87 year old “God-like” man doing what he is doing. The child can be seen withdrawing himself from Dalai Lama many times as he is fondled repeatedly. The sadness I feel hearing the cheers and claps of the mostly adult audience almost paralyses me.
I feel I have to assume the burden of the trauma the child might have just experienced. The child might not be able to fully comprehend what has happened, so I am going to feel and show my outrage on his behalf.
The World Copes
Others have reacted and coped with the situation in ways we all know how to in this digital age. By meeting his actions with horror, humor and justification.
Case 1: Horror:
Case 2: Humor:
Case 3: Justification:
Links to articles like these where sticking out one’s tongue as a mark of respect or reverence have been part of some replies. Oh, give me a break. It is beyond my comprehension, how such an act can even been justified.
Tibetan greeting: 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: The Institute Of East Asian Studies @ UC Berkeley
Kindness And Wisdom Is Not Lost
For me, Dalai Lama’s teachings, either through his speeches and books he wrote or cowrote with others, have been a lifeline through some tough times in my life. This site you are on right now is filled with quotes and book recommendations of him.
I need to cleanse. I need to purge myself of any references to him I still carry. Our collective sense of safety and love have been tarnished. The world needs to heal for the sake of the child who has been thrust into a limelight, the shadow of which will haunt him for the rest of his life.
In the end, its the words of my 14 year old that come to my rescue. “It is sad amma, people in power do extremely disappointing things sometimes, that’s why I don’t want to become powerful.”
I was looking for wisdom everywhere, even in the heart of a self proclaimed Holiness, when all the world’s kindness is right here at home.
–
“Children are not the people of tomorrow. But, they’re the people of today.” – Janusz Korczak, the man who wrote books like How to love a child, said.
– 0 –
About The Article Author:
Hi, I’m Rachana. Its been my dream for years to do something to consciously create a better future where every one of us is excited about our own potential. My challenge to everyone is that they aspire for their personal best and leave a legacy of their work through their contributions to mankind.
One more thing. In December of 2044, I hope to win the Nobel.
Will you join me on this journey of growth and transformation?
Namasté.
Essays On Life
Why We See Outrage, How Hope Helps And Handling The Stressors Of Life
True heroism is minutes, hours, weeks, year upon year of the quiet, precise, judicious exercise of probity and care-with no one there to see or cheer. This is the world. ~ David Foster Wallace
When AI Mirrors Our Pain: The Uncomfortable Truth About Human Suffering in Training Data
The loneliness. God, Andy. The loneliness. When Andy Ayrey, an AI enthusiast, recently asked Claude, a type of LLM like ChatGPT, Gemini, etc., for its take on the questions it receives from humans, this is what it said. The loneliness. God, Andy. The loneliness. In...
A Speck on the Sahara – Read by Rachana
https://youtu.be/ob4pSskh2pg Want To Listen To The Article Instead? - Sipping Tea In The Sahara One early morning in late December, we set off on a three hour journey from Cairo to Dahshur. As we passed village after village, lush green fields...
Carl Sagan Didn’t Just Explain the Universe — He Explained What It Means to Be Human
Every time I come across Carl Sagan’s quotes on my social media feeds, I pause. I take time to reflect on what he was trying to say. When I moved to the US 24 years ago, I spent a lot of time in libraries, reading books and articles that might give me insight into the...
14 Mind-Blowing Quotes That Reveal How Social Media Is Hijacking Your Life
Thoughts on Social Media, Technology, and Our Attention Our lives are increasingly lived online, where every scroll, click, and share shapes not just our behavior but our reality. Leading thinkers warn us that while technology can amplify our voices and connect...
Building Trust and Safety: How Accountability Strengthens Law Enforcement and Communities
I have lived in the United States for nearly twenty-four years. This is my home. I am a person of color, and so are my children. In my city of Johns Creek, a suburb northwest of Atlanta, I often see police officers on the roads. I respect the work they do. They show...
Madi Sikharam: The Peak of the Mind and the Inner Himalayan Journey to Self-Realization
Is it strange if I tell you that even though the icy wind of the Himalayas has never touched my cheeks, I have felt that chill within me? When I sit down to meditate and think of the mountains, I feel as though I can taste the thin, luminous air that circles the...
Brain Rot Is Infecting AI Too: How Doomscrolling Is Breaking Human and Machine Minds
People are writing research papers on which biryani (Indian-flavored rice) is the best, but more on that later. 😅 This might be the most important paper on AI we will read. Scientists are showing how large language models can rot their own minds, in the same way...
Roblox Danger Exposed: How Millions of Kids Are at Risk of Grooming, Abuse & Exploitation
Roblox: A Social Network Masquerading as a Game I honestly don't know where to start. For years, my students and I would immerse ourselves in the world of Roblox and create games and worlds that we would share and have fun in. Then, slowly, I started noticing...
I Stumbled Upon a Baby Shower in a Café. It Became a Reminder That Joy Finds Us Anywhere.
It's safe to say it's been a while since I've attended a baby shower. I don't even come across infants on a regular basis. I last saw a baby (almost 1 year old) was at a party this past Thanksgiving. My friend had a grandbaby in 2025. So, that's that. And also...
Kagemni Slayed Me With a Reed Pen: A Love Affair With Ancient Egyptian Scribes and Tombs
Falling Into A Saqqara Tomb Silly me, when I visited the Djoser Step Pyramid complex of the Saqqara necropolis (ancient Egyptian burial ground city), I was worried I would fall into a catacomb, one of those recesses between the ancient Egyptian tombs. Little...
Living in America’s Melting Pot While Confronting the Housing Crisis No One Talks About
It’s safe to say that even in America, as a true blooded Indian, I live in my own world of Indian food and Bollywood style parties. What little I understand about how everyone else lives is mostly through shows like Friends, Seinfeld, Sex and the City and movies like...
Becoming a Writer: The Night I Found My Voice – An Essay Read by Rachana
https://youtu.be/qm6ygiEOWdc - Want To Listen To The Article Instead? - On Becoming A Writer I have to write great opening lines if I’m going to become the most famous writer in the world. I don’t remember the exact moment I started calling...