Death is compared to a cat and an ordinary person is like a mouse. When the mouse is in the mouth of a cat, it knows it is its destruction and so is exceedingly afraid and tries to escape the mouth of the cat. The mouse does not surrender. The mouse is always trying to get away from the cat and therefore there is fear. Cat is death personified for the mouse.
On the other hand, a devotee of the Lord is compared to the kitten. Because the kitten is surrendered to the cat, it is fully dependent on the love of the cat. The kitten sees the cat as its most loving protector. Similarly, when a devotee is face to face with death, he/she simply sees God with love and gratitude. That devotee is feeling the divine protection, the divine love of God at death; that devotee sees that death is simply the door opening to the spiritual world and so there is no fear. It is a promotion. It is like graduating. A devotee welcomes death as an opportunity to serve the Lord in the spiritual world.
– Radhanath Swami
