Answer

Your pain is understandable. In Jain Dharma, true Vītarāgatā means complete freedom from rāga-dveṣa — attachment and aversion. In its absolute form, it exists only in Kevalī Bhagwant and Siddha Bhagwant.

Among present-day sādhus and sādhvīs, Jain tradition does not ask us to quickly declare someone as “truly Vītarāgī.” A living muni may be deeply disciplined, detached, and spiritually elevated, but only a Kevalī has perfect Vītarāgatā.

So yes — a shred of Muni-tattva can certainly exist wherever there is sincere restraint, aparigraha, humility, self-awareness, and effort toward liberation. But complete Vītarāgatā is extremely rare and belongs to the highest spiritual state.

Explanation

In Jain understanding, there is an important difference between:

• Vītarāgī in the absolute sense — Arihant and Siddha, free from all passions.
• A sincere sādhak or muni — one who is walking the path of reducing passions through saṃyam, tapas, svādhyāy, dhyān, and vigilance.

A true muni is not measured by:

• large donations,
• big events,
• public influence,
• number of followers,
• or outer prestige.

The essence of Muni-tattva lies in:

• reduction of ego,
• carefulness in conduct,
• non-possession,
• control of speech, body, and mind,
• forgiveness,
• equanimity,
• and constant effort to weaken kaṣāyas.

But Jain Dharma also warns us that judging another soul’s inner state is very difficult. We can observe conduct, but we cannot fully know the depth of someone’s internal attachment, aversion, pride, deceit, anger, or greed.

Spiritual Understanding

Your concern about the dilution of Keval-dhvani is a serious one. Jain tradition holds that the omniscient teaching of the Tīrthaṅkar is pure, complete, and liberating. But as time passes, understanding may become mixed with social customs, institutional identity, personality worship, debates, externalism, or convenience.

This is why Jain Dharma repeatedly brings us back to the core:

• Samyak Darshan — right faith,
• Samyak Jñān — right knowledge,
• Samyak Chāritra — right conduct.

If a teaching increases detachment, compassion, non-violence, humility, and self-purification, it is moving toward the spirit of the Jina’s path.

If it increases pride, rivalry, blind following, possessions, anger, or sectarian ego, then even if it uses religious language, it has moved away from Vītarāgatā.

Takeaway

It may be painful to see outer religion become louder while inner detachment becomes quieter. But Jain Dharma would gently guide us this way:

• Do not lose faith in the Jina’s path.
• Do not hastily condemn all sādhus or laypeople.
• Look for humility, restraint, aparigraha, and inner quietness — not display.
• Most importantly, protect the seed of Vītarāgatā within your own soul.

Even one moment of true equanimity, one honest reduction of ego, one act of non-attachment, one careful restraint of anger — that is already a living spark of the Vītarāg path.