Acharya Prashant explains that the fear of death is not about what happens after death, as that is technically impossible to imagine or fear. Instead, the fear of death is actually the fear of the end of the current life. He argues that people do not fear death because their lives are filled with joy or beauty; in fact, true beauty makes one ready to die at any moment. The fear arises because there is a significant, pending task in life that remains unfulfilled. He likens life to an examination hall where the world is the question paper and liberation is the degree. Those who have not prepared or lived correctly feel a sense of panic when time runs out, fearing they will have to repeat the cycle of birth and death, which is often symbolized as falling into lower forms of existence. Acharya Prashant emphasizes that a life lived rightly is one where the individual is ready for the 'examination' at any moment. A person living correctly has no unfinished business and can welcome death as a completion of their task. He describes this state as 'Jivan Mukti' or being liberated while still alive. In this state, one has finished their 'paper' early and can observe the world with detachment and peace, indifferent to whether they stay or leave. He concludes that the highest ideal and duty of a human being is to achieve this liberation during their lifetime, rather than waiting for some post-death salvation.
