I believe there are only a few handful folks in the world who are not afraid of death. The crazy thrill-seekers, the mountain climbers come to my mind. But the vast majority of people living on this planet are afraid of death. Dying all of a sudden is not a problem at all as there is no time to even ponder about it, but not everyone is that fortunate. The people who are in the final stages of cancer who are notified that they have only a short period of life on earth. If I put myself in their shoes I would be so worried/scared on the limited time I would have. Because I am afraid that I will lose everything that I have built in this life, the material wealth, the human connections and finally the loss of myself (the identity that I call "I"). Tomorrow (after my death) the world will go on as usual, except for the near and dear ones who will miss my absence.
But as per Hinduism, the death is only for the body, there is no death for the soul. The soul will find a new body (of any living creature). If for a moment you accept this idea (irrespective of its validity), there is a sense of liberation. If you (THE REAL YOU) is not really dying, it's just changing forms, then why even be worried or afraid. You are going to be there in a different form.
Another related idea comes to my mind in the context of death. The idea of detachment. I somewhere read that detachment is not the idea of not owning anything, but rather not be worried/concerned at the loss of something that you used to own. If you apply that idea to death. You were born into a body, you owned that body for the period you were alive and then its time to leave it. Be detached from it. And you will be peaceful.
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