Young Jains are renouncing worldly pleasures to live with austerity in search of inner peace, higher life

More and more young Jains are leaving their luxurious life in search of inner peace and higher life. They are renouncing worldly pleasures and taking diksha for an ascetic life. For instance, Mumbai-based Akhil Doshi, 22, is taking up diksha in a grand event on February 14.

Akhil, who leads a luxurious life till now, will wear white robes, walk barefoot and eat whatever he gets as alms.

"I was raised with all the comfort that one can ask for, but even in the midst of having everything, I realized that, in reality, I had nothing. The shallowness of the most vibrant materialistic pleasures stood as a stark truth in my face. It is these luxuries that make us forget who we are and consume our entire lives. It is an unending race towards futility," Akhil told TOI.

Likewise, eight more diksharthis are going to take diksha and they credit monk Pujya Namramuni Maharaj Saheb for enlightening their inner souls.

However, it is not that easy to become a Jain monk. Once the Maharaj is convinced that the person can lead the life with dedication, then only they can become a monk.

"My life was full of materialistic things-going for movies, shopping and meeting friends. One day I happened to accidentally listen to an audio CD of Gurudev and since then began to question myself and what my life was about. Then came a day when I made up my mind to give up everything," Ghatkopar's Pooja Vegda, 35, a doctor who has offered skin treatment to several celebrities, told TOI.

(Image: Indiatimes)