I heard a nice talk by Srila Prabhupada in which he said, “A devotee is not afraid of dying”—and explained why:
Here in the material world, padam padam vipadam. At every step there is vipada; there is danger. So don’t think that “She is dying” or “He is dying, and I shall not die.” Everyone will have to die. At every step, there is danger of dying. It is not that . . . Everyone has to die. So before that death we must become fully Krishna conscious so that ante narayana-smrtih. [“The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.” (SB 2.1.6)]
The end will come today or tomorrow or day after tomorrow. Nobody here will live. But the success is if we can remember Narayana at the end of life. That is success. Ante narayana-smrtih. We should practice that. Don’t bother about that “I shall die tomorrow. You are dying today, so I am better than you.” Nobody here will live. Everyone will die, and we must be prepared for death. And the devotee has no fear of dying, because if he is completely surrendered to Krishna, then he is going back to Him. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti. [“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Gita 4.9)] Simply by surrendering to Krishna.
And what is that surrendering? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru, mam evaisyasi asamsayah [Gita 18.68]. Without any doubt. He is giving assurance. Four things only. Always think of Krishna. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam. Anyone can do it. Everyone can offer Krishna patram puspam phalam toyam. [“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.” (Gita 9.26)]
Everyone can hear from Krishna what is Krishna. Where is the difficulty? The difficulty is that we want enjoyment in this material world. That is the difficulty. Therefore it is recommended that akincananam mayi bhakti-bhajam. For a devotee there is no problem. He is not attracted by liberation or by Svargaloka or by yogic perfection. He is not at all interested. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami—sakali ‘asanta’. They cannot get santi, because they want something. For bhukti, the karmis are working so hard. They want some material profit or go to the Svargaloka to enjoy more. This is bhukti. And for mukti, they are also undergoing severe austerities, penance, tapasya, for becoming one. Kaivalya sukha. Kevaladvaita. They are also working. And the yogis, they also work very hard. Yoga practice is not so easy. Dhyana, dharana, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, samadhi. It requires. . . And especially in this age it is not so easy. It was easier in the Satya-yuga. Krte yad dhyayato visnum. [“Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Visnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.” (SB 12.3.52)]
Samadhi was possible. Now it is not possible. Our bhakti-yoga is so easy, simply man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru—very simple thing. So we should take to bhakti, devotional service, and reject everything. Niskincana. That will make your life successful.
-- Srila Prabhupada, talk on Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.25, November 12, 1976, Vrindavan
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