Even though we cannot decide the time and type of our death but we can certainly decide as to with what state of mind we should die.

Time of death and type of death (death by old age, by disease, in sleep or by accident etc) depend on various factors such as destiny, past karma, present actions, habits and impressions on the sub-conscious mind. The state of mind with which we wish to die solely depends on our Attitude and Behavior. Most of the people aspire for a peaceful, minimally painful death condition such as death in sleep or sudden death while being fit and healthy. Nobody aspires for a death through accident or after prolonged sickness or hospitalization or after being bed ridden. But can it be our choice to die in a way we want to die?

Normally it is not our choice to decide the type of death we want to die (though spiritually it is still possible by evolved souls) but we can always decide the state of mind with which we want to die. What is more important is ‘with what state of mind we die’ rather than ‘how we die’.

At the time of death, depending on our state, the soul may leave the body with ease or it may struggle and leave the body painfully. If the mind is free from attachments and aversions then the soul leaves the body peacefully but if the mind is full of attachments, aversions, ego, jealousy, revenge, hatred and dissatisfaction then it would struggle to leave the body. It will experience high pain while separating from the body. And depending on with what thoughts and impressions it leaves the body, the next birth gets decided.

Even in the Bhagwat Gita it is said that the predominant impressions on the soul’s mind at the time of death decides the kind of next birth for that soul. Gita also says that the predominant impressions at the time of death will be based on the attitude and behavior one has lived with, during one’s life time. It is not possible that one’s death will be peaceful if life long one has lived a life full of ego, attachment and aversions.

Based on the fact that death can strike anybody at anytime one should practice to live a pious, positive, contented and meditative life all through; so that the death is peaceful and the soul gets an evolved rebirth. In the evolved rebirth soul will gain saintly hood and will achieve its ultimate goal of realizing the supreme divine SELF and be eternally blissful thereafter.

- Ramesh Jain