Answer

Your doubt is very natural. In Jain Dharma, doing religious practices does not automatically mean that money problems will immediately disappear. Jainism teaches that happiness, suffering, wealth, poverty, respect, insult, health, and difficulties are mainly connected with karma, especially previously bound karma.

Following Jain principles like avoiding root vegetables on Ashtami and Chaturdashi, respecting Jain teachings, and avoiding mithyatva are spiritually valuable. But they are not a “transaction” where we do a little dharma and immediately get wealth.

Explanation

In Jain Dharma, life situations arise due to many types of karma:

• Past karma: Some difficulties may be the result of karmas already bound in the past.
• Present effort: Money problems are also affected by practical causes like job, skill, planning, debt, spending habits, business decisions, and circumstances.
• New karma: Our current thoughts, anger, jealousy, greed, dishonesty, and attachments can bind new karma.

So when you see others who do not follow Jain practices but appear rich or happy, Jain Dharma would say:

• Their present wealth may be due to their past punya karma.
• Their inner state may not be as happy as it looks from outside.
• Their future karmic result may be different.
• Your present difficulty does not mean your dharma is useless.

Jain Dharma does not teach us to compare our life with others. Comparison often creates more pain.

About Worshipping Other Gods

In Jainism, right faith means having faith in the true path shown by the Arihants, Siddhas, Acharyas, Upadhyays, and Sadhus.

Worshipping worldly gods with the belief that they are supreme liberators can become a cause of wrong belief from the Jain perspective. Jain Dharma teaches that only the liberated Siddhas and the path of the Jinas lead to moksha.

But this should be understood with calmness, not hatred. Jain Dharma respects all living beings. It does not teach anger or disrespect toward followers of other religions.

Why Problems Come Even After Doing Dharma

Dharma is not only for removing outer problems. Its deeper purpose is:

• to reduce inner weakness,
• to develop samyak darshan,
• to reduce attachment and anger,
• to stop new bad karma,
• to move the soul toward liberation.

Sometimes, even while doing dharma, old karma gives painful results. But dharma gives strength to bear it with less anger, less fear, and less new karma.

How You Can Reduce Your Problems

You can work on both sides: spiritual and practical.

• Continue your Jain practices with faith, but do not treat them like a bargain for money.
• Do Navkar Mantra daily with calmness and devotion.
• Do pratikraman according to your ability, especially for anger, jealousy, dishonesty, harsh words, and greed.
• Practice ahimsa in speech and actions, not only in food.
• Avoid jealousy toward rich people; jealousy increases inner suffering.
• Earn honestly, because wrong earning creates more karmic bondage.
• Improve practical financial discipline: reduce unnecessary expenses, avoid debt where possible, learn useful skills, seek better work opportunities, and take guidance from trustworthy elders or professionals.
• Give small charity if possible, even a little, with pure feeling. In Jain Dharma, bhav matters greatly.

Spiritual Understanding

A Jain should not think, “I followed one rule, so now I must become rich.” Instead, the feeling should be:

“Whatever karma comes, I will face it with patience, honesty, and faith in the path of the Jina. I will not leave dharma because of difficulty.”

This attitude itself reduces the bondage of new karma and strengthens the soul.

Takeaway

Your problems do not mean Jain Dharma is not working. They may be the result of past karma and present circumstances. Continue dharma with right understanding, avoid comparison, improve practical financial habits, and keep faith in Navkar Mantra, honesty, ahimsa, and inner purification.