The Five Dharma Types: Vedic Wisdom for Discovering Your Purpose and Destiny

by Simon Chokoisky

A handbook for unlocking the soul’s purpose and manifesting a fulfilling life • Reinterprets the traditional Dharma system of ancient India as a map for revealing one’s true purpose • Provides tests for determining one’s Dharma type • Explains the benefits, challenges, and social, interpersonal, and health dynamics associated with each of the 5 Dharma types Have you ever wondered why, despite great obstacles, some people achieve success, while others, though given everything, seem to squander it away? Or why some people, despite having very little, radiate joy, while others appear miserable though surrounded by opulence? The answer is knowing your soul’s purpose and living it is the key to creating a fulfilling life. Built on a deep body of Vedic knowledge, the ancient system of social structure and spiritual duty known as Dharma has modern applications for people seeking their life’s purpose. Author Simon Chokoisky explains the five Dharma archetypes--Warrior, Educator, Merchant, Laborer, and Outsider--and how your life’s purpose goes hand-in-hand with your Dharma type. Providing tests to determine your type, he outlines the benefits, challenges, emotional and learning styles, and social, interpersonal, and health dynamics associated with each type. Chokoisky reveals how the Dharma types function as an operating system for your identity, helping you map your life and play to your innate strengths, whether in choosing a prosperous career or field of study or in facing health challenges and meeting fitness goals. By accepting and understanding the nature of your type, you begin to align with your true purpose and, regardless of fate, find joy and meaning in life.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Hinduism, Personal Development

420 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2014

Reviews

[Nastja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raamatu esimesele osale annaksin kõhklemata 5 tärni. Erinevate Dharma tüüpide kirjeldused olid väga huvitavad, põhjalikud ja minu silmis ka täpsed. Võiks öelda, et laias laastus on Dharma tüübid tegelikult lihtsalt teatud väärtuste ja huvidega inimtüübid, mis on pandud iidse süsteemi konteksti ja mis seetõttu kõlab paljudele kindlasti atraktiivse ja müstilisemana kui see tegelikult on. On loomulik, et teatud ühiskondlikes ja ajaloolistes kontekstides ilmneb rohkem ühte tüüpi väärtusi, teistes jällegi teisi. Seda võib vaadelda kui mingisugust kõrget kosmilist seaduspära ja jõudu, kuid samahästi võib seda vaadata ka lihtsalt iseeneslikku ja loogilist asjade kulgu, mis mõjutatud nii juhuslike kui suunatud asjaolude poolt. Kuniks Dharma tüüpide käsitlus jääbki lihtsalt kirjeldavaks, ei ole tegelikult väga olulist vahet, mis prisma läbi neid nähtusi tõlgendada.

Aga siis teebki autor minu silmis põhjapaneva vea ja liigub kirjeldavalt käsitluselt seletavale.

See, et on võimalik jälgida inimestes ja nende väärtustes, huvides ja käitumistes teatud seaduspärasid ning neile mingisugune nimetus anda (Dharma tüüp, isiksustüüp, sodiaagimärk...), ei tähenda automaatselt, et neil siltidel on seletav jõud. Sa võid jälgides kindlaks teha, et laias laastus jagunevad inimesed näiteks viide gruppi oma elutee poolest, kuid see ei tähenda, et need grupid SELETAVAD neid valikuid, mida inimesed langetavad. See on korrelatsioon, mitte põhjuslikkus. See on kirjeldus, mitte seletus. Seega - autor võib küll südamerahus kirjeldada Dharma tüüpide tüüpilist käitumist, mõtlemist, valikuid - kuid ta ei saa öelda, et just teatud Dharma tüübi tõttu eelistab inimene teatud muusikažanrit, spordiala või ametit. Just viimast üritaski autor (piinliku detailsuseni laskudes) suurema osa raamatust teha.

Suhestusin väga Outsideri Dharma tüübi kirjeldusega, kuid kohe, kui autor üritas mulle hakata pähe määrima, et mulle meeldib/sobib minu grupile omaselt ametitest näiteks spionaaž, pornograafia ja varastamine, muutus asi lihtsalt naeruväärseks. Oma huvisid ja väärtusi võivad inimesed väljendada peaaegu ükskõik millistes ametites. See, et Outsiderid on justkui "imelikud" ja "teistmoodi" ja toovad ühiskonda suuri muutusi ei tähenda, et nad peavad selleks spioonid või eraklikud heidikud olema...

Tundub nagu üks järjekordne autor, kes on enda jaoks leidnud mõne meeldiva süsteemi ja üritab lihtsalt sõna otseses mõttes KÕIKE sinna alla sobitada - nii on ju palju atraktiivsem promoda oma sünnitist kõiki probleeme hõlmava ja lahendava ilmutusena.

Lisaks kasutas autor vahepeal minu meelest läbimõtlemata väljendeid ja näiteid. Sellised mikroagressioonid, kust kumas läbi (halvakspanevat) suhtumist - nt judgmental või stereotüüpne suhtumine narkootikumidesse/nende kasutajatesse, aga ka välismaalastesse/POCdesse.

Omamoodi kummaline kogemus. Ühest küljest suhestusin ja sain häid mõtteid, kuid teisest läks asi kiiresti allamäge ja muutus naeruväärseks. Ja btw, see autor müüb mingisuguseid toidulisandeid ka...

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about finding your Dharma- Your life path and who you are in relation to others. Good self discovery book steeped in vedic wisdom.

The types are:
The Educator-Someone who enlightens others, also often considered the wise counsel/mystic
The Warrior-Someone who protects and serves
The Merchant-Clothe, connect, animate- someone businessy and of the material world
The Laborer- Nourish and Nurture others
The Outsider- The rebel, activist, frees others

It breaks down what these roles were in ancient times and how they're applied to today.
It also breaks down how each one has a shadow side-how they devolve, how that correlates to our historical and contemporary societies and how to spot these shadow aspects in ourselves.

[Shellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So the beginning of this book, maybe about the first 1/3 was very interesting and held and captivated my interest. But then, well I’m not sure what happened really. But it lost me. I did finish it. But it took far too long, and I really had to force myself. I’m not sorry or sad I read this, I really did want to learn what Dharma is and how it works. Or what it means. I do know more about now than when I started the book, but I’m for sure not still not versed in it. There’s just far too much nuance for me, nothing really solid to grasp. Maybe a different book or author would be better suited for my learning style. This one was just a little too “out there” for my heart to love.

[Mindy Tillery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great information & explanation of the castes or classes or groups of individuals - only 5 - but I bet you can fit a lot of archetypes into each of them. I enjoyed it very much.

[Yojana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book for self realization. It guides you so well. Love it. Read it many, many times to sink in that knowledge.

[Wai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've just finished this book. The first half is AMAZING, I couldn't put it down!! Just fascinating. I was working out the dharma types of so many people in my life and it offered a really fascinating insight into why we are how we are. I loved it.

However for some reason I couldn't get through the 2nd half of the book... it literally took me months to finish, it felt like a battle. I think the reason for this is that the information in the 2nd half seems scattered. He's tried to go into separate topics (music, sports, career, seasons, tastes, government, politics, etc etc) and included info about the dharma types within those chapters. But the info is all over the place. I loved reading all about the different types in their own chapters, but as soon as he tried to talk about them all together, in one chapter, the info felt like it was jumping all over the place and i couldn't keep track of all the info about each dharma type. I was still trying to learn and understand each type, there was lots of very valuable info in those chapters about each type (the final chapters actually helped me to solidify the dharma type of different people in my life, including myself) but i had to go searching for the information and it wasn't easy to understand because all the types were being talked about together.

I think the book needs to be re-released in a consolidated version, where ALL the info about each type is in its own separate chapter. Thanks Simon for your fascinating insights into humanity! I'm looking forward to learning and understanding this subject more in the future.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently, I am an educator in a warrior phase, which makes perfect sense. When I did Gallup strengths, my top strength was learner. I'm a nerd who likes to share, which I do through public speaking while leading a feminist organization designed to achieve equity through systemic change. This books says I need to be careful of moving towards a Laborer type, which I take to mean getting too comfortable with where I'm at. As for Merchant, I gather this is why I lean anti-capitalist where the sole purpose of having a business is to make more money.

I'm not sure I found this book particularly helpful in facing health challenges, but it was interesting nonetheless.

[Kai Hodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful in understanding the self and others

Enjoyed the explanations of these ancient vedic archetypes and the contemporary examples. Each artchype is complimentary to another and each hass a role. The evolution and devolution of each also useful in seeing what the light and shadow is for each and how to manage the inevitable rise and fall of your humanness throughout life.

[P.S. Nicholls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating insights

Really made me think and appreciate the depth of character and connection we all have. I could read this 100 times and still learn something new.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book featuring different personality types, according to Buddhist practices. (You don't have to know the dharma to understand the book. You don't have to know anything about Buddhism to understand the book, either.) Sort of a spiritual Myers-Briggs. Chokoisky explains five types and how they can evolve or devolve into different types. The book is not necessarily hard to understand, but it does take careful reading.

And yes, there is a test so you can discover who you are, too.

[Vikram Ketkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really liked this one. had a great way to explain why and how probably the five main caste groups of India evolved over a period of time. also has a very interesting premise of choosing a profession in tune with our inner 'karmic group'

[Jerry Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warrior/Outsider

[Colleen Story · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting! A lot of fun to go through with friends and family.