One who wants to know the life must go through the experience of death! Without knowing/going through the experience of Death, one cannot understand what is life.
To know life one has to learn the art of dying. The one who is afraid of death will remain unacquainted with life also, because life and death are two sides of the same coin. The one who accepts death consciously, with awareness and with a welcoming heart, can know the life.
Everyone dies but not everyone is able to know life just by dying. Death happens to all of us voluntarily. We do not choose to die, but we are forced to die. Even if the one who commits suicide is forced to die. That is why death is a sorrow, a pain, anguish. Because of the lack of acceptance of death, in our life, the pain of death becomes intense. It becomes so intense that the person does not available. That is why most people become unconscious at the time of death.
People die unconsciously. Many times you have died unconsciously, hence you have no memory of it. But once you die consciously, you will not come back again. You will become free from the cycle of birth and death. Whereas as long as you are unconscious of your living that long there is no chance for you to be conscious of your death.
If you die consciously, you are free. Even if you are not free because of some obligations, you may come back but as an enlightened person. The story of Shuka Muni you might be knowing. There are many saints who have such birth consciously. They came to serve society, no more under the delusion but as a free person.