Testimonials
The 5 Dharma Types
Attended a lecture with Simon who talked about the principles in this book. He and the book are down-to-earth. I was intrigued enough with the lecture to purchase the book, a dvd and to have a reading with him.I would highly recommend the book and a reading after, at least, skimming the sections that you believe represent your Dharma type (I was happily incorrect about my type).
I feel like the missing links in the pattern of my life has emerged. My life map, as interpreted by Simon, answered lingering questions that I had about my purpose. Specifically, he identified areas in which I secretly wanted to excel but had not been sufficiently certain if they were meant to be a part of my life’s work.
Inspiring and recommended for people who prefer a practical outline and approach to finding their life’s path and seeing what potential stumbling blocks may stand between you and a purposeful life.
This book is loaded with rich insights and ways to understand your path and great advice for living it. Not only is it enriching for personal insight, it’s great for understanding other people and your interaction with them in relationships.Simon’s work in this book is truly a diamond in the rough, and I highly recommend this book, along with his DVD’s on Decoding your life map. They pair together very well and will keep you flipping pages and writing notes for hours!
It is amazing how accurate the dharma types are! As an experiment, I had some of my students do the assessment and ALL of them were as blown away by the results as I had been. If I had known I was an Outsider type, I could have avoided many mistakes and heartaches along the way. I highly recommend this book!!
Sadly many people working today in professions are dissatisfied with their career choice which creates a lot of physiologic stress And because of how society functions today there tends to be little help for those looking for their life’s avocation early in their lives Making use of ancient techniques Chokoisky helps us make sense of what purpose means and how that information can be practically applied to help clarify this at times confusing journey that we call “finding our purpose in life” A great contribution and important information
This excellent book offers a systematic and well-organized view of five types of human personality. Very well written and easily understandable, it provides a detailed knowledge about each Dharma type. All the concepts and practices are built into a framework that thoroughly explains how to discover and then live each particular Dharma type.
A good explanation of dharma for the lay western reader. It can be a bit confusing at times but the author does his best to alleviate that. I have recommended this book to friends who are interested in learning about dharma and how to use it to make choices in their lives.
One of the best books I’ve read on the subject. Explains things very well and not only gives you information on what type of Dharma you are but what you should work towards.
Enjoyable, insightful and most useful for daily life. A good reference work to have in hard copy. I have been a student of Vedic thought for over twenty years and was surprised at how much I learned.
Wonderful insights await you in this brilliantly-crafted book on the Dharma types. Written for anyone to comprehend easily and clearly, it is a guide for understanding our society, ourselves and others better. Reading it has helped me connect a few more dots in the grander scheme of things. I give this book my highest recommendation.
The 5 Dharma Types: Vedic Wisdom for Discovering Your Purpose and Destiny by Simon Chokoisky introduces us to the five Dharma types and gives us a self test to determine ours.The five Dharma types are: the educator, warrior, outsider, laborer, and merchant. In the first part of the book we are shown the five different types. Each chapter for a specific dharma types gives us famous people from that type, a basic overview of that type, and things that specifically effect each dharma type. In part two we are taught how to effectively live our dharma. We are shown paths to wellness for each type, their social conscience, the element, season, and taste for each type. We are also shown how each type deals with money and professions that are good for each one.
I liked learning about each of the different dharma’s and how they interacted and relate with each other. I think this book is inspiring. I would recommend this book to those who want a way to find their purpose through vedic wisdom or to those interested in vedic wisdom.
I acknowledge that I received this book from Inner Traditions/ Bear & Company Publishing for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review of the book.
This is a great book that really helps you know yourself. The different dharma types are explored at length, and by the end you truly have a new perspective on yourself and even what to do with that new knowledge. A great and informative read. Would be a great gift for anyone on a path to discovery or looking for a new career.
A great guide for life! Taking ancient beautiful wisdom and making it accessible for everyone. This book will explain the purpose of your journey in this life and help direct you on your path.
The author is a wonderful teacher. Worth reading!
A really wonderful take on the caste system and how to understand your dharma in this life. I’ve been able to share this book with friends and family. The diagrams and illustrations really complement the information provided. I was able to get a reading from Simon, and I recommend any readers of this review come to him after reading the Dharma Types for a reading. A great book that works on many levels, and is easy to understand. Makes a great gift for all different walks of life.
Not just the astrology knowledge, the author shares interesting views on the world/humanity. Great read, and fun to see what your dharma type is! Inspiring.
Sex, Love & Dharma
I originally found this book because I watched an interview with the author. I highly recommend this book to anybody who wishes to understand themselves and their loved ones more. An excellent read!
So far, I have purchased all of Simon’s material. I really enjoyed learning from Simon such our body’s circadian rhythms and its ties astrologically. I have enjoyed all his DVDs and books. For example, I learned I am an Outsider. I find Simon to be a great teacher of Astrology not only about assessing charts but its impact on our daily lives. With that said, I just received my book on Sex, Love, and Dharma, and I am so excited to learn about my relationship with my partner.
This book is a clear yet thorough guide to living intentionally from a Vedic perspective and being true to your Dharma type with the ultimate goal of being/finding a good mate. Full of interesting anecdotes and long-term advice as well as practical suggestions you can implement immediately, it will satisfy all types who wish to implement positive change in their lives. Either a great follow up to Chokoisky’s earlier work, The Five Dharma Types, or a complete stand-alone.
Thank you my dear teacher for a powerful and much needed book that charters one of the major pillars of health for a Satvic life.The pursuit of an Ayurvedic lifestyle in our Western culture can be quite challenging. You have a gift for distilling the complex truth into forms that can be clearly explored without confusion. You have produced a text of great value I deeply recommend it and am sending a copy to a client today.. 5 star! Namaste, LE
I met Simon just a couple of months ago. After taking his classes on Dharma type and Vedic Astrology I can’t get enough of this Eastern practice. I have read 5 Dharma types and pored over his DVDs. The way he delivers these complex subjects makes it an easy concept. His no nonsense approach makes it fun to learn and very applicable in Western society. I can’t wait to get mine!
I first heard about Simon when he was interviewed on a Law of Attraction podcast. So I purchased and read your book ” The five Dharma Types” last year and discovered so much about myself and people that I associate with. I have seen you on YouTube as well.
This newest book just arrived today and I will read it ASAP.
Simon knows his stuff. A highly evolved person you will resonate with.
BRILLIANT!!!What’s Your Dharma? Finding and understanding this will help you in every aspect of your life.!!!
I love the health tips and vast information that Simon has written in this book.
Its a must have for everyone!
Very interesting!There is lot to discover with this book. It’s not at all what you think about when you see the cover. The author explains about indian customs, daily routine for your health, talk about medecinal plants, ask you to take test. It’s fun, very interesting.
You are a reader and a little more as you are implicated in your read.There is also aspect as a western woman that have not convinced me. Some beliefs about women that I found old fashion but at least it has helped me to have a vision of traditions.
A great journey where you learn, discover and probably roll your eyes but I’ve spent a nice moment.
Incredibly interesting book by a fascinating author! Covers a lot of ground. Very thought provoking in terms of what choices to make to fulfill our dharma!
Decoding Your Lifemap I & II
This is by far one of the best videos on Vedic Astrology. I have purchased books such as “Light on Life”, “Beneath a Vedic Sky”, “The Ascendant: 108 Planets of Vedic astrology” and countless others. Vedic astrology is not only complex but sometimes the terminology can make it even more challenging to comprehend.This 3 DVD set, including Simons other Part II series (3 more DVD’s), are absolutely the best way to get started learning this ancient teaching. I loved how simple he makes the subject, and the many examples that he gives. You can pretty much understand your own chart just with these DVD’s, maybe not an absolutely, still need a pro for that, but you can do pretty well with them. I can honestly say that this has been the BEST purchase I have ever made, and took less time then reading some of the books I have. 🙂
There is no substitute for books to obtain in depth knowledge, but this is by far the best way to get started and makes the books easier to follow. I would have to call this series of DVD’s (Part I and II of Decoding Your Life Map) the foundation of getting started in Vedic astrology for a beginner.
I really would recommend these series of DVD’s, only wish I had started with them in the first place. Hope he comes out with some others.
PS.. The person doing the filming deserves credit too, he made sure to keep all the board examples up close, you never miss the examples shown. A++ to him as well.
This DVD series will show you a general concept of how your life is shaped in a certain pattern according to Vedic Astrology. Discover your soul purpose, special talents, weaknesses, among other aspects of your life so you can tune in to your mission right away! I loved this seminar, was personally there and now have the DVDs which i watch every now and then learning something new each time. Profound wisdom shared with lots of fun and common sense by Sanskrit teacher, Ayurvedic practitioner and Jyotishi Simon!
the speaker in this video makes a complex subject matter easy to understand and fun. he is very entertaining. he gives you tools that are actually immediately practical, which is not common when dealing with such a complex study.
i wholeheartedly recommend this video and look forward to other works by this author.
In the beginning the science and art of Jyothish can be difficult because understanding the science can be foreboding In this set of CD’s Chokoisky demonstrates the art of Jyothish and makes it fun and understandable for those who want access to this profound science for understanding themselves as well as their relationships without having to spend a lot of time in study A definite practical tool
Wow! What an incredible teaching Simon gives. I have tried a couple of classes in the past on Jyotish and it was so frustrating because I sat in a class twice for 2 days and didn’t understand a single thing. But thank you Simon Chokoisky for this. A fabulous tool to start learning the basics of Jyotish.
I am hoping for the next step in learning this wonderful science. Jyotish is a complicated art/skill to learn and can take years but I feel like I have the basics. And I can also go back and listen to the DVD’s again.
A must buy for those interested!
Simon’s dvd’s are outstanding. Some people state that seeing Pink Floyd in their youth made them expand their minds, others say an education at Harvard, some even say psychedelics. Simon is well rounded with an amazing sense of humor and delivers these ancient concepts at just the right pace. His take on astrology has truly expanded my mind, as I have laughed and cried several times during the ten plus hour ride on these dvds. I can’t think of anyone more approachable and wise for this format… I’d recommend this to anyone wanting a hands on learning style of Jyotish. Grab a pencil and paper, take some notes, and it very may well enrich your life. I have so much gratitude for Simon, thanks again for birthing this project.
This is a clear, insightful AND enjoyable set of lessons on Jyotish from a talented and generous master teacher. (I first purchased his book The Five Dharma Types by “accident” from a local bookseller. It may be true that there are no real “accidents” because the book had very deep and practical impact on my practice as a business advisor/consultant.) Given how much I liked the book, I purchased both DVD sets of lessons and am even more delighted with the content and delivery. Gifted teachers are sometimes hard to find and now that I’ve found his work on Jyotish and the Vedic wisdom traditions I look forward to attending his workshop(s) in the future. Don’t delay. If you have a passing interest in the subject, try one of his books or DVDs. It is a small price for access to lessons that are profoundly insightful and immediately useful.
The information found within this program connected all the dots and filled in all of the blanks for me. I’ve collected a lot of good info over the years, often finding difficulty piecing it all together in a coherent way, and Simon has pioneered an easy and informative method that solves this problem.
This is the first product I’ve ever bought about vedic astrology since I believed it was a topic that was difficult to understand if you hadn’t studied it in depth. I was pleasantly surprised by the accessibility of the content and also the clear layout of the DVD and, even though I’m a completely beginner to this subject, was inspired to buy the follow-up DVD. After just one viewing I had learned enough to start looking at and understanding my life map. However, I will definitely be watching it again (and again) as there is plenty of material to digest. Thank you for creating such an excellent and engaging product!
I purchased this DVD at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I was so excited to see it available on Amazon too! I learned so much and had fun too! I can’t wait to watch part two!! If you are interested in Jyotish/Vedic astrology, this DVD will give you great start!
I’ve tried to read A LOT of books on Jyotish, and been frustrated by how much memorization and work you need to learn just a little bit about yourself. Watching these DVDs and scrolling through the chapters, I learned to understand my own chart and even other people’s charts very quickly. It’s surprisingly simple, and I think both beginners and intermediate students (like ME!) can benefit from it… I also bought this for friends and family because it makes a nice gift!
