From TV presenter to Buddhist Lama
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Imagine being completely silent for an hour, a day,
a week, months...Imagine turning off the daily noise,
the social media and everyday conversations and the
ongoing high and low level "chit chat" that most of us
surround ourselves with. What happens to us then?
After months in a silent retreat and many years of
philosophical studies Victoria Chimey Victoré is an
authorized Buddhist lama who has been internationally
recognized and awarded for successfully integrating the 2,
600-year-old wisdom of Buddhism into today's modern
society and entrepreneurship.
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Tell us about your switch.
- My spiritual journey has been a constant red thread throughout my life. After working with culture and media and then becoming an entrepreneur in fitness and health I began to follow my calling in deeper and more philosophical studies and meditation. This transition from a worldly career to becoming a Buddhist lama spans several decades.
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How would you describe the biggest change since you became a lama, your "before and after"?
-Becoming a Buddhist lama is both an honor and a responsibility. During the decade leading up to being awarded this title, I immersed myself in philosophical studies and meditation, especially during my time as a nun. It has been a slow and natural process of spiritual development without a clear boundary between "before and after".
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Which is your biggest insight concerning your spiritual development?
-My deepest insight has been the experience of clear consciousness, free from a subject. This experience goes beyond intellectual understanding and serves as a recurring lightning strike in my personal development landscape.
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How does one become a lama?
Becoming a lama is not a simple process, it is a title awarded by a master who can discern stabilized spiritual development in the eventual recipient of the title. Many, like me, go through a classic 3-year retreat before being awarded the title.
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What exactly does a lama do?
A Buddhist lama is not only a spiritual guide but is also authorized to hold rituals and teach Buddhist teachings. In the West, like Sweden where structures for Buddhist lamas are not in place, it is up to us to make ourselves visible and accessible to society.
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Tell us about your experiences of so-called silent retreats, what happens and how long have you been silent?
-My experience with silent retreats spans several months, including solo retreats of up to 3 months and group retreats of up to 8 months, all spent in silence. This practice allows me access more energy in my everyday life and has deepened my understanding of the inner landscape and contributed to my spiritual level.
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What was it like to come back as a lama to everyday life in Sweden after all your years abroad?
-It has been a gradual process. After three years as a civilian lama, an everyday life begins to take shape and it's like starting from scratch, but with a deeper understanding of how to create and maintain one's place in society based on a basic idea of compassion and wisdom.
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Many feel lost, worried and stressed in today's society - how can you as a lama guide lost souls?
-Through my tradition of wisdom, I offer digital courses, lectures, support for organizations and instructor training for those seeking deeper development and guidance within a proven method. The goal is to spread tools for stability, peace and insight.
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What are your top three advice for inner harmony
• Disidentify yourself with your thoughts and feelings, see them as objects to investigate.
• Consider everything that happens with curiosity and see challenges instead of problems.
• Take responsibility for your approach instead of creating scapegoats; start by looking in the mirror and cultivating an attitude of compassion towards yourself and others.
