Quotes by Category
Quotes by Category
Not the body
Heading: soul travels from body to body
“As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 2, Text 13
the soul cannot die
“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 2, Text 20
The individual is the passenger in the car of the material body, and intelligence is the driver. Mind is the driving instrument, and the senses are the horses. The self is thus the enjoyer or the sufferer in the association of the mind and senses. So it is understood by great thinkers.
Katha Upanishad 1:3:3-4
Quoted in Bg. 6:34, purport.
The soul is atomic in size and can be perceived by perfect intelligence. This atomic soul is floating in the five kinds of air (prana, apana, vyana, samana and udana), is situated within the heart, and spreads its influence all over the body of the embodied living entities. When the soul is purified from the contamination of the five kinds of material air, its spiritual influence is exhibited.
Mundaka Upanishad 3:1:9 Quoted in Bg. 1:17, purport
The spirit soul, bewildered by the influence of false ego, thinks himself the doer of activities that are actually carried out by the three modes of material nature.
Bhagavad-gita 3:27
The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.
Bhagavad-gita 15:7
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1975), Canto 6, Chapter 10, Text 10, The body doesn’t do any good for the spirit soul
“This body, which is eatable by jackals and dogs after death, does not actually do any good for me, the spirit soul. It is usable only for a short time and may perish at any moment. The body and its possessions, its riches and relatives, must all be engaged for the benefit of others, or else they will be sources of tribulation and misery.”
The Bible (New International Version), The Old Testament, Ecclesiastes 12, Verses 5-7, Body to dust, spirit back to God
“And the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
Srila Prabhupad
From conquering death booklet:
I exist…I will always exist
I am the eternal spark of life
Only temporarily in this mortal frame
The body will die
But I will never die. (p. 1)
If you erroneously identify yourself with your body, you will conclude that your existence will end with the destruction of your body. But if you know that you are the eternal self within the body, you know that your existence will not end when your body dies. (p. 1)
Your body has a beginning and an end; your body is subject to birth and death, but you, the spark of life within the body, are eternal. You have no beginning, nor will you have an end. The material body will cease existing, but you will never cease existing. (p. 3)
There is nothing in the world more inevitable than death; and there is nothing that causes nearly as much misery. The dying person suffers, and those who are attached to the dying person suffer. Yet all this suffering is unnecessary; it is due to ignorance. (p. 4)
Our bodies are dying-from the moment of birth. As our bodies grow, we gradually realize that death is inevitable, but we try to keep the thought out of our minds. We carry on as if we will be in this world forever-in this body forever. We diligently and conscientiously build our little kingdoms; then, as middle age sets in, most of us experience a crisis, realizing that our age of youth is gone forever-that time is moving, and moving fast. We become increasingly aware of our mortality, but we try hard to forget it. We continue to live here as if we will always live here. We want to exist. (p. 4)
So we try to keep death out of our minds. We try to think that only other people die that only other people have fatal accidents, get cancer, and so on. We try to live a happy life, free from anxiety, but fear of death is always in the back of our consciousness. Thus, we are always in anxiety, usually without even knowing why. (p. 5)
If you are ignorant, you will cling to your body. You won’t want to give it up. Even when the body is wracked by cancer or some other disease, you will cling to it as if it were the most precious thing. (p. 6)
Even if we want to hold on to the body, we will never succeed. Have you ever tried to stop yourself midway in a descent down a very steep, slippery slide? It’s almost impossible to cling to the slide. Attempts to cling to the body are infinitely more futile. Once you’re on the downward slope of death (which begins at conception), there’s no way you can stop it. Scientists know this. The best they can hope for is a slight extension of the length of the slide. They call this “life extension.” (p. 6)
While living in the body, we become attached to people and things. At the time of death, we experience great suffering because we are ripped away from everyone and everything we love. The cessation of existence also means the cessation of all relationships. After all, a relationship can only exist where the relating entities exist. So when we are on our deathbed, we feel great sorrow that all relationships will soon be over. (p. 7)
Our suffering is not limited to our anxiety throughout life and our sorrow on our deathbed. It continues even after we have been pronounced “dead.” We get kicked out of the body just like a tenant gets kicked out of an apartment by a cruel landlord. This makes us totally bewildered, confused, and afraid. We don’t know who we are (since the body we identified with is gone), where we are, why we are, or where we are going. Since we did not prepare for the journey-indeed, since we didn’t even know that we would still exist-we are like an orphan lost in the wilderness. And just as, while “alive,” we were pushed around by the forces of material nature on the gross physical level, so after “death” we continue to be pushed around by the subtle material forces. (p. 7)
If we are attached to a dying person and identify that person with his body, we also suffer greatly. Thinking the person we love will soon cease existing, we feel great sorrow. Macho men, conservative women, friends, relatives-we all cry unrestrainedly at the beds of our dying loved ones. (p. 8)
The suffering of those who identify the bodies of their loved ones as being their loved ones is beyond description. Those who have experienced such suffering know it. Those who haven’t experienced it don’t know it. It’s as simple as that. (p. 9)
So much suffering is connected with death; yet death is not the real cause of the suffering. The real cause is ignorance-the false identification of the body as the self. (p. 9)
But just as great as the suffering caused by this ignorance is the joy that naturally arises when the shackles of ignorance are removed. The heavier the burden, the greater the feeling of relief when that burden is removed. The removal of fear and anguish from the heart creates the experience of real freedom, real liberation. Just as the suffering caused by ignorance can never be described adequately, neither can the joy born out of wisdom. (p. 9)
He who knows that a person or self is actually an eternal, indestructible particle of the element life, which is only temporarily in the material body, cannot be conquered by either his own “death” or the “death” of loved ones. (p. 9)
So although realizing one’s eternal spiritual nature is liberating, many people don’t want this realization…to most people ignorance is bliss. If you accept that you are an eternal spiritual spark, you will have to remold your whole pattern of life, your false lordship over others, your pride in your life’s accomplishments, your view of yourself as greatly learned. You have to give up all of this. And what for? For an eternal but uncertain future. (p. 15)
To know that you are not going to die solves many problems, but it opens the door to new questions. For example: Since I am eternal, what is my eternal function? Since I am not material in essence and therefore cannot find happiness in material sense gratification, where and how can I find satisfaction? (p. 15)
You’re afraid of your continued existence after death because you don’t know what it will be like. You don’t know the nature of your future existence, so you fear it. (p. 16)
But no matter how much you want to cease existing you never will. And the sooner you give up your wishful thinking, the sooner you can start working on the questions regarding the reality of your eternality. (p. 16)
The search for perfect wisdom is an ongoing eternal challenge – and it is real. Thus, only the most courageous people will actually accept this challenge. The ignorant, the fearful, and the lazy will remain as they are. (p. 24)
From transcending old age booklet:
The beginning of human life is when a person asks, “How come I, who am now in this body which is very old, used to be in a body which was very young? Why is it happening? Why am I suffering like this? What is the solution?” Human life begins when a person inquires how he can conquer old age, diseases and death. (pp 13-14)
The human form of life is meant to achieve self-realization. It is meant to understand one’s relationship with God. (p. 19)
Now the reason a person is experiencing this suffering [of old age] by God’s arrangement is so that he can learn and experience that this world is not his real home. (pp 21-22)
If a person wants to go to God, he has to realize that he must love God and not this world. There is no question of his entering into the spiritual world with a material body. (p. 22)
You are not the body. You’re the person within the body. According to God, Who is the Supreme Authority, you are His part and parcel. Just like the ray of the sun is a spark of the sun, you are the same essence as God Himself. You are spiritual, not material. You are not the Supreme Spirit Soul; you are not God. But you are an eternal part and parcel of God Himself. (p. 24)
You must know, “Aham brahmasmi. I am brahman. I am spirit, not matter. I am not this body. My body is old but I am not old. My body is falling apart like an old car falls apart. But I am not my body.” This is wisdom. It is with this wisdom that you can transcend old age. (p. 24)
Ignorance can be transcended with wisdom. When you transcend ignorance with the realization of your true identity as spirit soul, then you’ll be elevated to a platform of real freedom. Freedom from old age means realizing that you will never become old because you are the eternal part and parcel of God. This is the most wonderful realization. (p. 25)
You should not waste a moment of your life. Whether your body is young or old, it doesn’t matter. Death can come any moment. But if your body is old, then you have this warning. (p. 25)
Spend your time remembering your true identity…[by] regularly hearing and repeating the pastimes, names and glories of God. Spend your time doing this and you will be perfectly fixed in God consciousness and wisdom. You’ll be able to leave your body peacefully. Oh death, where is your sting? Oh old age, where is your sting? With wisdom, you remove the sting of old age and death. (p. 26)
Lights of Guidance (Universal House of Justice), p. 201, self leaves body at death
“As at the time of death, the real and eternal self of man, his soul, abandons its physical garment to soar in the realms of God, we may compare the body to a vehicle which has been used for the journey through earthly life and no longer needed once the destination has been reached.”
Surrender to God
The Quran (Abdul Haleem), Sūra 12: Yūsuf, Verse 101, prayer to die surrendered to God
You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Let me die in true devotion to You. Join me with the righteous.’
Note: I have also read the following version, but cannot find who translated it:
“O God, You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Let me die as one who has surrendered to You and join me with the righteous”
The Quran (English Translation, Yusuf Ali), Sūra 89: Al-Fajr, Verses 27-30, the surrendered soul is called back home
“O soul, in complete rest and satisfaction! Come back thou to thy Lord,—well pleased thyself, and well-pleasing unto Him. Enter thou, then, among My devotees! Yea, enter thou My Heaven!”
Lord in the heart
The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.
Bhagavad-gita 18:61
The Bible (New International Version), The Old Testament, Psalms 73, Verse 26, God is our strength eternally
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
No Fear
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1974), Canto 3, Chapter 25, Text 41, Only taking shelter in Krishna can remove fear of death
“The terrible fear of birth and death can never be forsaken by anyone who resorts to any shelter other than Myself, for I am the almighty Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original source of all creation, and also the Supreme Soul of all souls.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1975), Canto 6, Chapter 10, Text 33, Two glorious ways to meet death
“There are two ways to meet a glorious death, and both are very rare. One is to die after performing mystic yoga, especially bhakti-yoga, by which one can control the mind and living force and die absorbed in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The second is to die on the battlefield, leading the army and never showing one’s back. These two kinds of death are recommended in the śāstra as glorious.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1975), Canto 6, Chapter 12, Text 14, Life and death depend on the will of God
“Since everything is dependent on the supreme will of the Personality of Godhead, one should be equipoised in fame and defamation, victory and defeat, life and death. In their effects, represented as happiness and distress, one should maintain oneself in equilibrium, without anxiety.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1976), Canto 7, Chapter 6, Text 2, Human form of life is a chance to return home
“The human form of life affords one a chance to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore every living entity, especially in the human form of life, must engage in devotional service to the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu. This devotional service is natural because Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the most beloved, the master of the soul, and the well-wisher of all other living beings.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1976), Canto 7, Chapter 10, Text 29, Devotee protected by meditation on Krishna
“My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are the Supreme Soul. If one meditates upon Your transcendental body, You naturally protect him from all sources of fear, even the imminent danger of death.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1976), Canto 8, Chapter 2, Text 33, Krishna is the shelter from death
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is certainly not known to everyone, but He is very powerful and influential. Therefore, although the serpent of eternal time, which is fearful in force, endlessly chases everyone, ready to swallow him, if one who fears this serpent seeks shelter of the Lord, the Lord gives him protection, for even death runs away in fear of the Lord. I therefore surrender unto Him, the great and powerful supreme authority who is the actual shelter of everyone.”
One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What then, can be illusion or anxiety for him?
Sri Ishopanishad, Mantra 7
The Bible (New International Version), The Old Testament, Psalms 23, Verse 4, Fearless because of God’s presence
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
Power of Holy Name
Chanting and thinking of Krishna at death
“After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred syllable om, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the spiritual planets.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 8, Text 13
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1970), Canto 1, Chapter 1, Text 14, Even unconscious chanting frees a person
“Living beings who are entangled in the meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, which is feared by fear personified.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1972), Canto 1, Chapter 8, Text 36, hearing and chanting stops repetition of birth and death
“O Kṛṣṇa, those who continuously hear, chant and repeat Your transcendental activities, or take pleasure in others’ doing so, certainly see Your lotus feet, which alone can stop the repetition of birth and death.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1972), Canto 2, Chapter 2, Text 37, hearing about Krishna brings one home
“Those who drink through aural reception, fully filled with the nectarean message of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the beloved of the devotees, purify the polluted aim of life known as material enjoyment and thus go back to Godhead, to the lotus feet of Him [the Personality of Godhead].”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1975), Canto 6, Chapter 2, Text 46, chanting alone frees one from bondage
“Therefore one who desires freedom from material bondage should adopt the process of chanting and glorifying the name, fame, form and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at whose feet all the holy places stand. One cannot derive the proper benefit from other methods, such as pious atonement, speculative knowledge and meditation in mystic yoga, because even after following such methods one takes to fruitive activities again, unable to control his mind, which is contaminated by the base qualities of nature, namely passion and ignorance.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1975), Canto 6, Chapter 2, Text 49, faithful chanting brings one home
“While suffering at the time of death, Ajāmila chanted the holy name of the Lord, and although the chanting was directed toward his son, he nevertheless returned home, back to Godhead. Therefore if one faithfully and inoffensively chants the holy name of the Lord, where is the doubt that he will return to Godhead?”
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (1975), Ādi-līlā, Chapter 9, Text 39, Chanting frees one from death
“Distribute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. Let people eat these fruits and ultimately become free from old age and death.”
Never Alone
And of all yogis, the one with great faith, who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me – he is the most intimately united with me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.
Bhagavad-gita 6:47
If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.
Bhagavad-gita 9:26
I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in me and I am also a friend to him.
Bhagavad-gita 9:29
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1975), Canto 5, Chapter 14, Text 45, Maharaja Bharata’s prayer as he quits his body thinking of Krishna
“Even though in the body of a deer, Mahārāja Bharata did not forget the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore when he was giving up the body of a deer, he loudly uttered the following prayer: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is sacrifice personified. He gives the results of ritualistic activity. He is the protector of religious systems, the personification of mystic yoga, the source of all knowledge, the controller of the entire creation, and the Supersoul in every living entity. He is beautiful and attractive. I am quitting this body offering obeisances unto Him and hoping that I may perpetually engage in His transcendental loving service.” Uttering this, Mahārāja Bharata left his body.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1977), Canto 9, Chapter 24, Text 58, Krishna descends to this world to take us home
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead acts through His material energy in the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this cosmic manifestation just to deliver the living entity by His compassion and stop the living entity’s birth, death and duration of materialistic life. Thus He enables the living being to return home, back to Godhead.”
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (1975), Madhya-līlā, Chapter 20, Text 124, Returning home is the goal of life
“The Vedic literatures give information about the living entity’s eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa, which is called sambandha. The living entity’s understanding of this relationship and acting accordingly is called abhidheya. Returning home, back to Godhead, is the ultimate goal of life and is called prayojana.”
The Bible (New International Version), The Old Testament, Joshua 1, Verse 9, God goes with you wherever you go
"Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
Solution to death
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1977), Canto 10, Chapter 1, Text 38, death is sure for everyone
“O great hero, one who takes birth is sure to die, for death is born with the body. One may die today or after hundreds of years, but death is sure for every living entity.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1977), Canto 10, Chapter 1, Text 48, ending endeavors to keep body alive
“As long as he has intelligence and bodily strength, an intelligent person must try to avoid death. This is the duty of every embodied person. But if death cannot be avoided in spite of one’s endeavors, a person facing death commits no offense.”
taking shelter in Krishna carries one home
“The wise, engaged in devotional service, take refuge in the Lord, and free themselves from the cycle of birth and death by renouncing the fruits of action in the material world. In this way they attain that state beyond all miseries.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 2, Text 51
attaining Krishna’s abode after death
“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.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 4, Text 9
shelter from death in Krishna
“Intelligent persons who are endeavoring for liberation from old age and death take refuge in Me in devotional service. They are actually Brahman because they entirely know everything about transcendental activities.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 7, Text 29
Knowing Krishna at the time of death
“Those who know Me as the Supreme Lord, as the governing principle of the material manifestation, who know Me as the one underlying all the demigods and as the one sustaining all sacrifices, can, with steadfast mind, understand and know me even at the time of death.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 7, Text 30
The consciousness at death determines future
“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 8, Text 6
Krishna meets us at the end as death
“O Arjuna, I control heat, the rain and the drought. I am immortality, and I am also death personified. Both being and nonbeing are in Me.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 9, Text 19
Krishna is the Creator of birth and death
“Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from doubt and delusion, forgiveness, truthfulness, self-control and calmness, pleasure and pain, birth, death, fear, fearlessness, nonviolence, equanimity, satisfaction, austerity, charity, fame and infamy are created by Me alone.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 10, Texts 4-5
Death is Krishna
“I am all-devouring death, and I am the generator of all things yet to be. Among women I am fame, fortune, speech, memory, intelligence, faithfulness and patience.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 10, Text 34
Krishna is the swift deliverer of the devotee
“For one who worships me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of Pṛthā, for him I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 12, Texts 6-7
Hearing from authoritative sources leads to perfection
“Again there are those who, although not conversant in spiritual knowledge, begin to worship the Supreme Person upon hearing about Him from others. Because of their tendency to hear from authorities, they also transcend the path of birth and death.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 13, Text 26
Krishna’s abode
“That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.”
~Bhagavad-gītā As It Is (1972), Chapter 15, Text 6
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.
Bhagavad-gita 7:14
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.
Bhagavad-gita 7:19
After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.
Bhagavad-gita 8:15
Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worships ghosts and spirts will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me.
Bhagavad-gita 9:25
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1972), Canto 1, Chapter 9, Text 39, Bhismadeva prays to be thinking of Krishna at death
“At the moment of death, let my ultimate attraction be to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. I concentrate my mind upon the chariot driver of Arjuna who stood with a whip in His right hand and a bridle rope in His left, who was very careful to give protection to Arjuna’s chariot by all means. Those who saw Him on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra attained their original forms after death.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1972), Canto 2, Chapter 1, Text 15, cutting off material attachments at death
“At the last stage of one’s life, one should be bold enough not to become afraid of death. But he must cut off all attachment to the material body and everything pertaining to it and all desires thereof.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1974), Canto 3, Chapter 24, Text 38, Worship Krishna for eternal life
“Now, being sanctioned by Me, go as you desire, surrendering all your activities to Me. Conquering insurmountable death, worship Me for eternal life.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1974), Canto 3, Chapter 25, Texts 39-40, Krishna promises to deliver the devotee
“Thus the devotee who worships Me, the all-pervading Lord of the universe, in unflinching devotional service, gives up all aspirations to be promoted to heavenly planets or to become happy in this world with wealth, children, cattle, home or anything in relationship with the body. I take him to the other side of birth and death.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1974), Canto 3, Chapter 31, Text 21, Remaining in Krishna consciousness frees one from repeated birth and death
“Therefore, without being agitated any more, I shall deliver myself from the darkness of nescience with the help of my friend, clear consciousness. Simply by keeping the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu in my mind, I shall be saved from entering into the wombs of many mothers for repeated birth and death.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1974), Canto 3, Chapter 32, Text 43, Going home
“Anyone who once meditates upon Me with faith and affection, who hears and chants about Me, surely goes back home, back to Godhead.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1974), Canto 4, Chapter 23, Text 27, Those engaged in devotional service go home
“In this material world, every human being has a short span of life, but those who are engaged in devotional service go back home, back to Godhead, for they are actually on the path of liberation. For such persons, there is nothing which is not available.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1975), Canto 5, Chapter 3, Text 12, Prayer to remember Krishna at death
“Dear Lord, we may not be able to remember Your name, form and qualities due to stumbling, hunger, falling down, yawning or being in a miserable diseased condition at the time of death when there is a high fever. We therefore pray unto You, O Lord, for You are very affectionate to Your devotees. Please help us remember You and utter Your holy names, attributes and activities, which can dispel all the reactions of our sinful lives.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1975), Canto 5, Chapter 12, Text 16, Association with pure devotee brings one home
“Simply by associating with exalted devotees, anyone can attain perfection of knowledge and with the sword of knowledge can cut to pieces the illusory associations within this material world. Through the association of devotees, one can engage in the service of the Lord by hearing and chanting [śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam]. Thus one can revive his dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness and, sticking to the cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, return home, back to Godhead, even in this life.”
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1975), Canto 5, Chapter 14, Text 39, saintly persons go back home
“Saintly persons, who are friends to all living entities, have a peaceful consciousness. They have controlled their senses and minds, and they easily attain the path of liberation, the path back to Godhead. Being unfortunate and attached to the miserable material conditions, a materialistic person cannot associate with them.”
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (1975), Antya-līlā, Chapter 11, Text 53-56, Haridāsa Ṭhākura leaving his body
“Haridāsa Ṭhākura made Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sit down in front of him, and then he fixed his eyes, like two bumblebees, on the lotus face of the Lord.
He held the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu on his heart and then took the dust of the feet of all the devotees present and put it on his head.
He began to chant the holy name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya again and again. As he drank the sweetness of the face of the Lord, tears constantly glided down from his eyes.
While chanting the holy name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, he gave up his air of life and left his body.”
Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to Whom they belong.
Sri Ishopanishad, Mantra 1
The Bible (New International Version), The New Testament, John 5, Verse 24, believing after hearing Jesus’ words saves one from death
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
The Bible (New International Version), The New Testament, Romans 8, Verses 38-39, death cannot separate us from love of God
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The subject of remembrance is central to spiritual life and to physical death. The aim of life is to be so lovingly attached to the Supreme Person that one will automatically remember Him at the time of death. And those who do remember the Lord at death go to Him. This is the Lord’s promise.
The Bible (New International Version), The New Testament, Romans 14, Verse 8, living and dying for God
“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”
Engage your mind always in thinking of Me,
offer obeisances and worship Me.
Being completely absorbed in Me,
surely you will come to me.
-Bhagavad-Gita 9:34
Whoever at the time of death quits his body remembering Me alone,
at once attains my nature, of this there is no doubt.
-Bhagavad-Gita 8:5
Yet even if–for some reason or other–the devotee cannot remember the Lord at death, still the Supreme Lord remembers His devotee. In other words, even though it is not possible for the pure devotee to forget the Lord even for a moment–still, even if it were possible the devotee would not be in a dangerous position. This is because the Lord remembers and protects His devotee under all circumstances. That is the Lord’s promise in the Bhagavad-gita:
O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.
-Bhagavad-Gita 9:31
If a person does not remember the Lord, that too is due to the Lord’s mercy. For, as the Lord states in the Bhagavad-Gita (15:15), both remembrance and forgetfulness come from Him. So in all circumstances, a person who wants to go to God is dependent upon God’s mercy.
A person can only remember God at the time of death if he really knows Him, and has surrendered his heart, body, and mind to Him in love. After all, how can a person remember what he doesn’t really know? He can only remember what he really knows. So only a person who has a confidential relationship with the Supreme Person, who really knows Him, can really remember Him.
The point is to come to know God before death approaches. It is foolish to think that one can live a self-centered, materialistic life and then try to know God just before death. A person’s life will determine the nature of his consciousness at death.
So we must ask, “How do I come to see or know the Supreme Lord?” Since the Lord is the supremely conscious entity, we cannot “see” or “know” him unilaterally. In other words, we can see Him if He kindly allows us to see Him; we can know Him if He allows us to know Him.
–18 Pearls of Vedic Wisdom, Jagad Guru, pg. 149 - pg. 151
Excerpt from SP talk 2016 help one another in life and death:
Love each other and help each other now. Help each other to remember Krishna. When it comes right down to it, nothing else matters. Getting rich, having big houses, being a famous surfer, having a beautiful wife or a perfect husband - none of these things are ultimately going to be worth anything! No material gain or happiness is ever going to take you out of the graveyard, because all that is within the walls of the cemetery.
So, we need to recognize that our real life is loving Krishna and, connected with that, loving others. This is life. We can be with Krishna here and now. Your consciousness now will be your consciousness in the future. It’s not like you can be in a certain materialistic consciousness now, and then, abracadabra, all of a sudden in the future your consciousness will be different, and you’ll be a lover of Krishna.
Don’t put off love for Krishna. If you just keep putting off love for Krishna until the future, that is a mistake. Be a lover of Krishna now. Taste the nectar of love for Krishna now
The nature of the present determines the nature of the future.
Take seriously the cultivation of love for Krishna. Find that little bit of love for Krishna that is within your heart and grow it by constantly hearing and chanting the Names of Krishna. Do what you need to do to grow that love and do what you need to do to protect it from being obliterated by offenses or stifled by materialistic life.
Gautama Buddha (quote), the nature of this world
“The world is afflicted by death and decay. But the wise do not grieve, having realized the nature of the world.”
Mother Theresa (quote), death can be beautiful
“Death can be something beautiful. It is like going home. He who dies in God goes home even though we naturally miss the person who has gone. But it is something beautiful. That person has gone home to God”
Eternal nature
Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.
~Bhagavad-gita 2:12
Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul. Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable, and eternal living entity is subject to destruction.
~Bhagavad-gita 2:17-18 (p. 23)
For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.
~Bhagavad-gita 2:20
Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material, inferior nature.
~Bhagavad-gita 7:5
This world and everything in it quote:
This world and everything in it is the property or the energy of the Supreme Energetic. But unfortunately most of us have forgotten the connection between ourselves, the world and the Lord. We falsely identify ourselves with the material body we temporarily live in, and due to our identifying with matter, we seek fulfillment in the material world.
Thus, we falsely lay claim to God’s property and endlessly compete to exploit each other and the environment. This continuous exploitation makes our hearts harder and harder and it is thus a great rarity for a person in this world to feel real love and compassion.
Therefore, kindness is rare, friendship is rare, honesty is rare, and simplicity is rare and happiness and humility are rare. But fear is not rare, nor is international, interracial, interfaith, and intersexual warfare.
But bitterness is of no necessity. There can be a new society. But the outer can change only by changing the inner. The nature of our place of residence is determined by the nature of our mentality or consciousness. Thus, our destiny is in our own hands.
—Jagad Guru
Miscellaneous
The Quran (Tafheem-ul-Quran - Abul Ala Maududi), Sūra 16: An-Nahl, Verse 61, the time of death cannot be changed
“And when that term arrives, they have no power to delay it by a single moment, nor to hasten it.”
The Hidden Words, Bahá’u’lláh, Arabics 14, the eternality of the self
“O son of man! Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not; wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished; why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide then in thy love for Me, that thou mayest find Me in the realm of glory.”
The Quran (Maarif-ul-Quran), Sūra 57: Al-Hadīd, Verse 20, the life in this world is only an illusion
“Know well that the worldly life is but a play and an amusement, and a show of beauty, and exchange of boastful claims between you, and a competition of increase in riches and children. (All this is) like a rain, the vegetation of which attracts the farmers, then it withers, and you see it turning yellow, then it becomes straw. And in the Hereafter there is a severe punishment (for the disbelievers), and forgiveness from Allah and (Allah's) pleasure (for the believers and the righteous). And the worldly life is nothing but a material of delusion.”
Plato (quote), death is separation of soul and body
“I think death is nothing more than the separation of two things from one another: soul and body.”
Socrates (quote), distinction between mortal and immortal
"So it appears that when death comes to a man, the mortal part of him dies, but the immortal part retires at the approach of death and escapes unharmed and indestructible."