The ascetics, whether male or female, are those fully dedicated souls who have renounced worldly life and pleasures to devote themselves to the pursuit of moksha or liberation. A spiritually advanced Jain lay person, when ready for further advancement to the path of liberation, undertakes five great vows in a ceremony called "Diksha" (Initiation). Diksha is the ritual that constitutes the symbolic rebirth of the individual. They should not be and are not under any pressure to become a monk or a nun. They have to listen to themselves and this decision gives them the inner strength they need to be initiated. Once an Acharya (a head of monastery or convent) decides to accept them into their monkhood, the ceremonial initiation (Diksha) takes place. This is the time when they renounce their worldly life, and break their social and economic ties forever. They voluntarily accept five great vows:
             1. to refrain from all injury to living beings
             3. not to steal (or not to take anything not given to him)
             5. To have no possessions and he should always follow the religion as preached by the JINAS.
             A monk is given three large piece of cloth which constitutes his new wardrobe, a brush made of woolen tuffs, a begging bowl, a blanket and volumes of scriptures. The hair of the monk is pulled from one's head in five handfuls, thus preparing him for severe demands of the ascetic life. He takes fifty monastic vows. The monks lead an itinerant (roaming or wandering) life, do not dwell, and on principle more than one to five days (maximum a month) in the same locality but during the four months of Monsoon they remain sedentary. The habitation is chosen according to the minute rules. Nowadays most Monks stay in shelters. They learn to detach themselves from all their worldly ties. They learn to give up their families, businesses and social aspects. They must also learn to live without any money.
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