Where am I supposed to go when you take on the Sadhu/Sadhvi dharma!?
Answer
When someone takes on Sadhu/Sadhvi dharma through Diksha, they are not meant to “go” to a worldly destination. They leave household life and enter the path of renunciation under the guidance of a Guru.
After Diksha, a Sadhu or Sadhvi generally goes wherever their Guru or Sangh guides them, living a life of:
- Renunciation
- Discipline
- Study of Dharma
- Meditation and self-purification
- Vihar — travelling by foot according to Jain monastic discipline
Explanation
In Jain Dharma, becoming a Sadhu or Sadhvi means giving up attachment to home, possessions, family identity, comfort, and personal choice. The person accepts the discipline of monkhood or nunhood and follows the rules of their tradition.
They live under the direction of their Guru and remain connected with the Jain Sangh, but they do not live like householders anymore.
Their “place” is not a fixed home. Their true direction is toward:
- Atma-shuddhi — purification of the soul
- Karma-nirjara — shedding of karmas
- Samyak Darshan, Samyak Gyan, Samyak Charitra — right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct
- Moksha marg — the path to liberation
Spiritual Understanding
Taking Sadhu/Sadhvi dharma is not just a change of clothes or location. It is a complete transformation of life. One leaves the path of possession and enters the path of non-possession, restraint, humility, and spiritual effort.
So the real answer is: you go toward the soul, away from attachment.
Takeaway
After taking Sadhu/Sadhvi dharma, you go wherever your Guru guides you outwardly, and inwardly you walk toward liberation through renunciation, discipline, and self-realization.