Dalai Lama is ‘Deeply Sorry’ for Remarks He Made About Women
Making sexist remarks about a future female Dalai Lama spurs global controversy and a statement by his office claims it to be a 'humorous joke'
In an interview, the current Dalai Lama, who is 83, was asked if there could be a female Dalai Lama in future to which he replied that there is a possibility of a female Dalai Lama, but she should be ‘attractive’ otherwise there’s no use.
In a statement released, his office said:
His Holiness genuinely meant no offense. He is deeply sorry that people have been hurt by what he said and offers his sincere apologies.
The statement also mentioned:
Dalai Lama 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. However, it sometimes happens that off the cuff remarks, which might be amusing in one cultural context, lose their humor in translation when brought into another.
The statement called Dalai Lama’s remark merely a ‘joke’.It also said that throughout his life Dalai Lama supported gender equality and made sure the even women nuns in exile earn a Gesha-ma degree which only male monks used to receive.
