If we want to reduce fear of death, we should live as is prescribed in scriptures, says AJIT KUMAR BISHNOI
If the answer is yes, then your fear of death will reduce drastically. This is not my conjecture but is based on solid facts. I will detail what improper living does to the fear of death and how proper living reduces it drastically. Some persons even become jeevan mukta (liberated while living) by living their lives in the prescribed manner. let me start with instances of improper living and what they do to the fear of death. Beginning with smoking, is it a necessity for livingIJ Smokers know that it puts them at risk, which enhances the fear of death.
Why do people smoke in spite of all the warningsIJ It is because they are not getting enough pleasures elsewhere; they are looking for some pleasure in smoking. Drinking alcohol is second on my list. No matter how many justifications anyone gives, he knows in his heart that what he is doing is not right for his health, it takes a chunk of his income, etc. But he does so and becomes fearful of all the consequences, even though he may put on a brave face in front of others. This additional fear does not help him in countering the fear of death, rather it increases it.
Gambling pleasure is next on my list of harmful pleasures. All gamblers know that they may lose their money, which instills fear in their hearts. I have taken the topic of illicit sex as the fourth topic because there are fewer who are guilty of this, though it causes the maximum damage. Families are ruined; children are the worst sufferers. Do you think it reduces the fear of death. last on my list is improper eating; all of us are guilty of this. Improper eating causes obesity, health problems and hastens the aging process. All these do nothing to reduce the fear of death.
Now let me take up what proper living is and how it reduces the fear of death. To begin with, we should make all attempts which we can do to correct our identity. In ignorance, we are identifying ourselves as material bodies, which are subject to death. Spiritual practices help us in realising ourselves as souls. And the soul is eternal, which does not die. Will that realisation not help us fear death lessIJ Diseases are very scary, especially the terminal ones. Don’t we know that no matter what disease one is stricken with or is likely to suffer, no disease lasts forever. In the worst case, it goes with the body. Yes, diseases cause suffering, pain, etc but soul consciousness prevents fear of death.
Then comes faith in God. This encompasses everything. If we have faith in God, we will be dutiful towards ourselves, our families and others. We will be following God’s instructions in the matter of proper living, which will enhance the quality of life. Then we don’t have to seek harmful pleasures mentioned earlier, and they won’t scare us. A faithful person realises that there is a system in place. All acts either done by the body, the mind or words bear fruits, and good deeds are rewarded and bad ones are punished. There is nothing like chance phenomenon, ie anything can happen at any time, which really scares. Good consciousness motivates us to be good now and think long-term, even of the next birth. Once we are doing that where is the fear of deathIJ
What is the conclusion thenIJ If we are really serious about reducing the debilitating fear of death, we should try to live properly, ie as is prescribed in our scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, then our fear of death will reduce, if not almost completely disappear. I welcome your comments.
Bishnoi is a spiritual writer and can be reached at spiritual@ajitbishnoi.com