In Jainism, what happens after you die depends on karma (your actions) you’ve accumulated in this and prior lives.

• The soul (jiva) is eternal. It moves from one life to another through rebirths governed by karma.
• If your karma is largely good, you may be reborn in a higher form (sometimes a human with good prospects, or a heavenly realm for a time). If your karma is largely bad, you may be reborn in a lower form (including animal or hellish realms) until those karmas exhaust.
• Death itself is not the end. The cycle of birth and death (samsara) continues until you achieve liberation (moksha).

What leads to moksha (liberation)?

• Moksha is the state of the soul free from all karma, ending the cycle of rebirth.
• In Jainism, moksha is achieved by following the right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct—often summarized as the three jewels: samyak darshan (correct belief), samyak jnana (correct knowledge), and samyak charitra (correct conduct).
• A person practices nonviolence (ahimsa), truth, non-stealing, celibacy or brahmacharya, and non-possessiveness (aparigraha), along with disciplined spiritual effort. Over time, karmas shed (nirjara), and the soul rises spiritually until it stops rebirth altogether.

Differences between Digambar and Shwetambar (brief, about the spiritual outcome):

• Both traditions agree on the aim of moksha and that all jivas can achieve it.
• There are differences in certain practices and interpretations about the path to liberation, including monastic rules and the role of women in some contexts, but these do not change the fundamental view that liberation is possible for all souls.

Key takeaway:

• If you don’t follow Jain path in this life, you still carry karma into your future lives, which will determine your next birth. The journey continues until you choose the Jain path with earnest effort and purify your mind and conduct sufficiently to attain moksha.