In Jain Dharma, becoming a sadhu/sadhvi is a very serious step, even more so for a child. Experiences can differ (Digambar / Shvetambar, each sangh, each guru), but in simple terms this is what a “first day” usually means spiritually and practically.

I’ll describe it as it is ideally meant to be, not how every case may actually happen.

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1. The inner experience (what the child is meant to feel)

Traditionally, diksha is supposed to be:

• A voluntary, deeply chosen step – ideally the child (better: a mature teenager or adult) has a strong desire to leave worldly life and follow dharma.
• Mixed emotions – joy for spiritual life, but also natural sadness at leaving family and comforts.
• Strong focus on bhakti and surrender – feeling, “From today, my life belongs to my Guru, the sangh, and my own soul’s upliftment.”

In real life, a child might feel:

• Excitement (big ceremony, attention, new identity)
• Confusion or fear (new rules, separation from parents)
• Pressure (wanting to please parents, guru, community)

From Jain dharma’s ideal view, diksha should never be forced or done just for show. ( jainknowledge.com)

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2. The external rituals on (or just before) the first day

Details differ by tradition and sect, but usually include:

1. Kesh-lochan or mundan (hair removal)

- Śvetāmbars: often kesh-lochan (hair plucking) as a symbol of total renunciation. ( jainknowledge.com) - Digambars: usually shaving of hair. - Meaning: giving up attachment to body, beauty, and comfort; readiness to bear pain with equanimity.

1. Simple white clothes (Śvetāmbars) or preparatory dress (Digambars)

- Śvetāmbars: child is given simple white robes, no ornaments. - Digambars: full Digambar nudity applies only to fully mature monks; a child or young initiate is usually under guidance and may have a gradual path.

1. Taking vows (sankalp / pratigya)

The child formally accepts: - Ahimsa – no violence - Satya – truth - Achaurya / Asteya – non-stealing - Brahmacharya – complete celibacy - Aparigraha – no possessions In child-initiations (Bal Diksha), these may initially be taken in a simpler, training form, depending on the tradition. ( jainknowledge.com)

1. Farewell to family

- Child may touch parents’ feet, receive blessings. - Parents and relatives often cry; scriptures encourage them to transform that emotion into virag bhav (detached devotion).

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3. Daily routine that starts from day one

On the very first day as a sadhu/sadhvi, the child begins to live like this (with guru’s protection and help):

• Very simple lifestyle

- No personal money, phone, toys, schoolbooks etc. - Only a few allowed items (e.g., rajoharan / ogho, pot, simple bedding, scriptures – varies by sect).

• Food discipline

- Eats only what is given by lay Jains, usually once or twice a day, in limited quantity. - No eating at night, no stored food, strong rules on what, how, and where to eat. ( jainknowledge.com)

• Walking barefoot

- Sadhus/sadhvis generally walk everywhere barefoot, carefully, to reduce himsa. - A child’s first day may be physically tiring or painful, but is meant to teach awareness and humility.

• Study and prarthana

- Learning basic sutras, Namokar Mantra, and simple Jain principles. - Listening to Guru’s pravachans instead of going to normal school. - Regular pratikraman, samayik, or other sadhanas as per that sangh.

• Strong discipline

- Obedience to Guru. - Daily schedule fixed: wake early, puja/bhakti, study, go for gocari/bhiksha, rest, evening prarthana, etc.

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4. Emotional and psychological side (from a Jain-dharma view)

Ideal Jain teaching:

• The child should feel:

- Supported by Guru and sangh - Guided with love, not fear - Helped step-by-step to understand vows and practice them.

Modern concerns (especially with very young children):

• Many Jain thinkers and communities now say:

- Full monastic diksha is best taken when the person is mature enough to clearly understand life-long celibacy and total renunciation. - For children, it is safer and more dharmic to focus on: - Jain education - Small lay vows (anuvrata) - Temple activities, pratikraman, etc. at home - Leaving the door open for diksha later, if they freely choose it. ( jainknowledge.com)

So, on the “first day as a sadhu,” a child will experience:

• A complete external change of life and identity.
• A new routine of strict discipline, simple food, and spiritual study.
• Emotional intensity: separation from family, new dependence on Guru and sangh.
• A path which, in Jain dharma, is meant purely for self-purification and progress toward moksha, not for family status or social show. ( jainknowledge.com)

You can read a clear explanation of what diksha means and what happens after taking it here: