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Dalai Lama Feels Sorry For His Comment On 'Female Successor'

In his recent BBC interview, he had commented that if a woman were to succeed him, and become the female Dalai Lama, she would have to be attractive.

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Anushika Srivastava
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Dalai Lama, who recently made news due to his comment on his ‘female successor’ now feels ‘deeply sorry’ for the same. In his recent BBC interview, he had commented that if a woman were to succeed him, and become the female Dalai Lama, she would have to be attractive. His statement attracted umpteen negative comments from all around the world. The Tibetian Buddhist Monk actually repeated his statement that he gave in 2015. However, now he has realised his mistake and now feels deeply sorry for his comment on women.

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"His Holiness genuinely meant no offense. He is deeply sorry that people have been hurt by what he said and offers his sincere apologies."

“(In) responding to a question about whether his own reincarnation could be a woman, and suggesting that if she were she should be attractive, His Holiness genuinely meant no offense. He is deeply sorry that people have been hurt by what he said and offers his sincere apologies. His Holiness, a monk now in his mid-eighties, has a keen sense of the contradictions between the materialistic, globalized world he encounters on his travels and the complex, more esoteric ideas about reincarnation that are at the heart of Tibetan Buddhist tradition,” a statement read in which the office of the monk apologised for the statement on his behalf.

“If female Dalai Lama comes, then she should be more attractive,” the monk had said in the interview. “If female Dalai Lama, oh, oh... that people, I think to prefer, not see her, that face.”

“However, it sometimes happens that off the cuff remarks, which might be amusing in one cultural context, lose their humour in translation when brought into another. He regrets any offense that may have been given. For all his long life, His Holiness has opposed the objectification of women, has supported women and their rights and celebrated the growing international consensus in support of gender equality and respect for women,” the statement by his office said.

“However, it sometimes happens that off the cuff remarks, which might be amusing in one cultural context, lose their humour in translation when brought into another. He regrets any offense that may have been given."

The monk, however, has been seen promoting women's participation on the global front. In 2017, he suggested that more women leaders should be involved in World Peace. “We have to analyse what went wrong in the 20th century. At this very moment, people are killing each other. We cannot remain indifferent to the conflicts in the world because we are all one. We have to think about how to create a more peaceful 21st century. In order to produce warm-hearted and compassionate humanity, we have to make every effort. In that aspect, biologically, females have more ability. Women should take a more active role in promoting deeper human values. In all professions, we need promotion of values,” Dalai Lama said.

According to him, women are more compassionate and sensitive towards others and this is a great leadership quality which must be nurtured to create a peaceful world. Women, in general, are also known to be more loyal and trust-worthy he says. His statement on refugees too received flak on social media, to which his office added in their statement that the comments in which he said refugees in the European Union should ultimately return home “may have been misinterpreted.”

Read More: Women Seated In Front Row, Swami Leaves Without Delivering Speech

dalai lama world peace Buddhist monk dalai lama and women Female Sucessor Tibet
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