Since the beginning of Jainism, becoming a monk or a nun and leading a mendicant lifestyle has been an ideal proposed to followers of the faith. Keeping to this type of life is not possible for all because of its strict rules and requirements so the proportion of mendicants to lay Jains is very small. Usually, monks and nuns remain mendicants for the rest of their lives, although rarely some return to the lay status.
For Jains the ideal condition for spiritual progress is to be completely detached from the world, which can be achieved more easily as a mendicant. The monastic code or monastic rule is the set of restrictions that governs the behaviour of monks and nuns. They vow to give up not just material possessions but also all passions or emotions that cause karma. This includes concern for the physical body, such as tasty food, concern for warmth and personal cleanliness. Thus the new mendicant gives up all elements of householder life, including emotional attachments to other people, places or things.
When a householder decides to become a monk or nun, a ceremony is organised in which he or she completes the ritual of renunciation or initiation. This ceremony is known as Diksha Ceremony.
Dinesh
September 20, 2011 at 1:25 am
I believe the first and most important internal requirement is Self Realization (Atma Gyan/ Samyak Gyan).
Diksha to Agyani jiv would be an attempt to pose them as one of panch parmesthi and lay person will bow them as Gyani.
One should weigh – how only external requirements will help lay person and sadhuji (monk) / sadhviji (nun) without meeting internal requirements.