DQIX isn't going anywhere...

As for your question, Dharma Temple is more like the quarter mark of the 1st Disc. The game is huge... You haven't even met your fourth and fifth party members yet.

I just see the place as a highlight cause its where the job class system becomes accessible. Btw, my suggestion for each of the characters is the Hero should be a Cleric, Gabo should be a Shepherd, and Maribel should be a mage.

Cleric gives you good healing magic which is going to help you in the long run but its great in the beginning cause Clerics get decent armor and defense. Maribel should start with a class that continues what she's been doing up until this point and Gabo can pretty much go anywhere but Shepherd have a few skills that are incredibly useful later on and once again I highly advise you make everyone go through shepherd cause it has two incredibly useful skills that will make the first half of the game much easier until you get access to the Dragoon class.