In Jain dharma, “Should I take dīkṣā?” is one of the most serious questions a soul can ask.

Some simple ways to check yourself:

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1. Check your inner reason

Ask very honestly:

• Am I attracted to the fame, respect, clothes, or safety of a sadhu/sādhvī life?
• Or is it mainly:

- deep vairāgya (disgust for saṃsār), - fear of karmas and rebirth, - and a strong pull towards mokṣa?

If the main reason is inner freedom from karma and real compassion for all jīvs, it is closer to real dīkṣā-bhāva.

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2. Test how stable your feeling is

Many people feel “I want dīkṣā” after:

• a powerful pravachan,
• a tragedy,
• or a big emotional shock.

Signs it may be real:

• The wish for dīkṣā comes again and again, even when life is going “well”.
• Months and years pass, but still:

- worldly dreams (marriage, career, property, status) feel empty compared to monkhood.

• You don’t just want a “change of life”; you want total renunciation.

If the feeling rises and falls quickly with mood, it is usually avasthā (temporary state), not nischay (firm resolve).

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3. Look at your present practice

Before dīkṣā, see how you naturally lean:

• Do you love:

- pratikraman, pāṭh, svādhyāy, silence, meditation, upvās/ayambil?

• Or do you do them only when forced or inspired by others?

Try this, under guidance of guru:

• Maintain brahmacharya, strict ahimsā, strong aparigraha as much as possible.
• Increase tyāg gradually:

- simple food, - simple clothes, - less gadgets, - less comfort.

• See if your mind becomes happier, lighter and more peaceful with more renunciation – or if you constantly feel pulled back to comfort, parties, social media, etc.

A genuine dīkṣā-bhāva usually makes tap and tyāg feel natural and sweet, not like punishment.

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4. Relationship with family & attachments

Signs you are moving towards dīkṣā:

• You deeply respect and love your family, but still feel:

- “They are separate souls, I am a separate soul.”

• The thought, “What will happen to them after my dīkṣā?” comes – but does not shake your core wish for mokṣa.
• You are ready to:

- renounce right now if guru says it is the right time, - without waiting for “this function”, “that degree”, “some money” etc.

If fear of “what will people say?” or “how will my parents feel?” is much bigger than your pull to dīkṣā, the bhāva still needs time to ripen.

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5. Ability to follow discipline under a guru

Dīkṣā is not just a feeling; it is a lifetime of discipline.

Reality check:

• Can you happily obey guru’s ājñā even when you don’t like it?
• Can you accept:

- no personal freedom in the normal sense, - walking barefoot, limited food, no money, no phone, - moving constantly, - strict rules 24x7?

One simple test used traditionally (with permission of guru):

• Stay in upāśray/āśram for some time under strict niyam — early wake-up, long svādhyāy, fasts, no entertainment, full brahmacharya, complete obedience.
• See: Does this life feel like your real home, or like a burden you are counting days to escape?

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6. Guidance from a true guru

In both Digambar and Śvetāmbara traditions, final decision is not taken alone:

• You should open your heart to a living Āchārya / senior saint you trust.
• Share your:

- strengths and weaknesses, - fears and past, - family situation.

Signs from guru’s side:

• A true guru never pushes you for dīkṣā for numbers, image, or money.
• A true guru will sometimes:

- tell you to wait, - give testing periods, - or even say no if you are not ready.

• If, after testing you, such a guru says, “Yes, your bhāva is pakka (ripe),” that is a very strong sign.

If anyone is emotionally blackmailing you into dīkṣā (or stopping you with worldly arguments only), be very careful.

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7. Honest self-questions

Sit in silence and answer very truthfully:

1. If no one praised me and no one knew my name, would I still want dīkṣā?
2. If I had to live with disease, insult, and hardship as a sadhu/sādhvī, would I still prefer that over a comfortable householder life?
3. If guru says, “No dīkṣā now, but live as an ideal shrāvaka/shrāvikā,”

will I accept that calmly, or will I become restless and angry?

1. What do I really think of:

- money, - marriage, - children, - success? Are they “must have”, “nice to have”, or “not needed for me”?

Your honest answers will tell you where you stand.

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8. Remember: dīkṣā is not a race

• Taking dīkṣā without inner readiness is dangerous – for you and for the saṅgh.
• Not taking dīkṣā, but living as a sincere, principled shrāvaka/shrāvikā with:

- anuvrats, - regular pratikraman, - charity, - and strong saṃyam is also a very high path.

In Jain dharma, purity of bhāva matters more than the label “sadhu” or “gṛhastha”.

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Simple direction for now:

• Strengthen:

- daily sādhanā (pāṭh, pratikraman, svādhyāy), - small renunciations, - satsang with genuine saints.

• Stay close to a true guru and let time test your feeling.
• If your desire for dīkṣā grows quieter, deeper, and more stable with each year of sādhanā and tyāg, it is likely the voice of your soul, not of emotion.

If you wish, with a suitable guru you can also request a “trial renunciation period” (living like a mumukshu under strict rules). How you feel in that period will itself answer your question from within.