How to overcome fear of Death?

Despite knowing that death cannot be avoided, the fear of death remains in everyone. Thus, we keep finding how to overcome fear of death or how to overcome thanatophobia. Death is not to be feared but death is to be prepared for. Today, if a person changes his shirt-pant and comes wearing a kurta-pyjama, then do we get scared? No, because the person is the same; he simply changed his clothes. Even death is as natural as removing an old, torn coat and changing to a new coat, leaving the old body and taking on a new body. But at the time of death, due to body-consciousness (thinking that this body is me) and attachment, one suffers endless types of suffering. Even the word death causes shivers. Then to find solace against death, one takes refuge in God. But since the real God has not been recognized, human beings live shelterless.

Fear of Death is to the Ego:

The Soul is not afraid of death but the ego remains afraid that, 'I will die, I will die.' The Soul is permanent and the body is temporary. The name belongs to the body, and along with the body, the name goes away. So, the name is also temporary. But people consider the name as 'I am'. If some person’s name is Chandubhai, he believes that 'I am only Chandu.' Believing the temporary as 'I am', one himself also comes into the temporary nature. Due to such ignorance, one feels like 'I will die', that’s the reason one experiences pain. Otherwise, the Soul never dies, but until we are not Self-realized, we keep feeling the fear of death and keep looking for how to get rid of fear of death. Once Gnani Purush makes us aware of the Soul, then 'this body is not me' fits in so firmly that the fear of death vanishes away.

Param Pujya Dadashri says, “All these things have a beginning and an end, but who is the One who Knows the beginning and the end? All these things that have a beginning and an end are temporary things. That which has a beginning has an end. That which has a beginning definitely has an end. Those are all temporary things, but who is the Knower of those temporary things? ‘You’ are permanent. This is because as You are saying that all these things are temporary, it means You are permanent."

Fear Leaves When We Arrive at the Gist of It:

An event or experience with which fear has entered, if we remove the gist of it, then one can know how to overcome fear of death. One lady's brother passed away, and the news of his death came over the phone. So next time onwards, whenever some relative’s call comes, immediately fear arises in that lady that "What if someone has passed away?!"

At that time, learn by experience that it is not that in every call, the news of death comes. So next time also, if someone calls, it will not happen. In this manner, based on past experiences, examine, note and draw conclusions, stay in the present. Yet, as soon as the phone rings, if it keeps arising within that, "Whose phone will it be?" What will happen?”, at that time be strong and say to the one within, “Shut up! At least first let me hear the facts." This is how one can stay strong against the imaginary fear, because it is a psychological effect, which over time can lead to depression.

Yamaraj or Niyamaraj?

Letting go of the fear-inducing beliefs associated with death can also lead to freedom from fear. According to some belief, if a dog cries at night, it is said that Yamaraj has come to take life. Yamaduta hits and hits and takes one to Yamaloka, he gives enormous suffering. Moreover, the description of Yamaraj's appearance is monstrous, where with big teeth, big nails, Yamaraj with big big eyes and big big horns comes on a buffalo! Such weird kinds of descriptions keep scaring us from childhood. But when the Gnani Purush Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan explains that there is no one named Yamaraj, but there exists Niyamaraj (laws of Nature). Man is born by law (of Nature), life is lived by law, death comes by law. That Niyamaraj has been mis-pronounced to be Yamaraj. When we get such a right understanding, then can any fear or scare remain? So that people stop doing wrong deeds, the fear of ‘Yamaraj will come and will go on hitting you and shall take you away’, has been placed in the society.

There is no one by the name Yamaraj, but there’s Niyamaraj. Man is born by law (of Nature), life is lived by law, death comes by law.

Param Pujya Dadashri’s incredible ingenuity that at the tender age of thirteen, he got this thought of inquiring about what would this Yamaraj be. As he grew older, logical questions such as "If Yamaraj exists, where would his office be, who pays him salary?" would occur to him.

Narrating an incident, Param Pujya Dadashri says, “There was an uncle in our neighbourhood. He was very sick and was about to die, so everyone would sleep there at night turn by turn. I was 13 years old; then, one night I said, "Brother, tomorrow is Sunday; so, I will sleep there." I will give medicine at night. So, at 11 o'clock, uncle fell asleep but I didn’t get sleep; then, the dog cried. At that time, I had heard that when this dog cries, then know that Jamra has come. That dog cried; so, I got afraid that Jamra has come to take this uncle.

How to get rid of this fear now? Fear does not leave unless and until there is a counter-knowledge to the knowledge that created fear. So then, I could not sleep and it was morning. Uncle was still alive. When he woke up, I said, 'This is wrong. Someone has put this wrong thing named Jamra in your mind.' So, then I started checking, asked the pundits from where again has this being called Jamra come. So, they said, 'You won't understand. Do not say anything or else you will become an opponent.' I said, 'No, I want to oppose it. Whatever has to happen may happen.' My nature is revolutionary. I oppose pain, but bring its solution.

The knowledge that created fear, unless there is counter-knowledge of it, fear does not leave.

And moreover, we are original Kshatriya; so, we do not allow such false fears. Therefore, I said, 'There should be God's office. But where has God kept his office? And how will the collector be collecting this revenue of God? So, what is behind all of this?' Thus, from that day thoughts arose, and upon inquiring, I felt that things are different. Then, upon thinking a lot, the thoughts remained confused for long, but as I grew older, on thinking about it, I felt that there is no one named Jamra. In all of India, fear, fear, even in Bengal, this false notion, everywhere this false notion.

The entire world is petrified by the name of Jamra. Now what is Jamra? Yamaraj (God of Death). Our people call him Jamra, but there was never anyone by the name Yamaraj. So have no fear. There is no such killer as such.” This is another key to how to overcome fear of death.

There was never anyone by the name Yamaraj. So have no fear. There is no such killer as such.

Finding Bliss amidst Criss-cross Thoughts Emerging from the Fear of Death:

When thoughts of fear of death surround us, a lot of criss-cross thoughts (vikalp) arise, at that time Param Pujya Dadashri gives a beautiful key (solution).

​Dadashri: We’ even tell the body, ‘Leave whenever you want to, but that is not ‘our’ wish that you do.’ This is because [nature’s] laws are so good that they don’t spare anyone; thereare so many laws.Here, there is no such thing as having sympathy for anyone. So why are you unnecessarily asking for sympathy? ‘Oh Lord! Please save me, please save me!’ How can He save you? God Himself couldn’t be saved, could He! All those who have taken birth here, none of them have been spared, have they! Even Lord Krishna, He was sleeping with one leg over the other, that person [a hunter] saw the leg in this position and thought that it was a deer and he shot him with an arrow.

Karma does not spare anyone. This is because this [the body] is not Your Real form. No one can bother You if You are in Your Real form. If You are the pure Soul, then no one can bother You. ‘You’ are the absolute Self (Parmatma) indeed! However, if you want to become someone’s father-in-law over here, then it will be difficult.

Questioner: ‘You may die whenever you want to,’ is it acceptable to tell the body just this much?

Dadashri: Just this much, ‘Die whenever you want to die.’ What does it mean when you say this? It means 

you have become partial. So, in order to prevent contempt from arising, along with that, you should also say, ‘It is not our wish.’ What do ‘we’ tell the body? ‘We’ say, ‘Leave whenever you want, but it is not ‘our’ wish that you do.’ This is because ‘our’ only desire still remaining is, ‘How can people attain salvation?’

Questioner: What benefit can be gained from saying that?

Dadashri: It makes One nirvikalp (free from the wrong belief of ‘I am Chandubhai’).

Questioner: Who? ‘Us’?

Dadashri: ‘Us’. This is ‘our’ discovery! Every one of these keys is ‘our’ discovery!