Answer

In Jain tradition, for Diksha the age is commonly understood as after completing 8 years.

So if a child is 8 years and 7 months old, the 9th year has already started. It generally satisfies the age understanding of “8 years completed.”

Explanation

Age is usually counted in two ways:

• Completed age: 8 years completed means the child has finished 8 full years.
• Running year: After the 8th birthday, the child is in the 9th running year.

So:

• 8 years exactly = 8 years completed
• 8 years and 7 months = 8 years completed and 9th year running

Spiritual Understanding

For such an important step as Jain Diksha, age alone is not the only factor. The child’s understanding, vairagya, family consent, guru’s guidance, and proper religious procedure are also very important.

Takeaway

8 years and 7 months means the child has completed 8 years and is in the 9th year running. For an actual Diksha decision, please follow the guidance of the Guru Bhagwant and the tradition of your Jain sampraday.