user8044: For those who are scared of growing old and death, what would be a well thought out response be? My first thoughts on it would be, if you learn to meditate, you are going to enjoy your old age, and you will never fear death. But that is not an answer that will go down well with many people. So this is a question that cries out for a mature, seasoned response?

user151: A good response is one of good demonstrative right intention(or action). 
Then they might inquire further  and if so, maybe tell them about some fundamental Dhamma.

user8157: Similar to a modern counselor, the Gautama Supreme Buddha was 'client centered'. 
Due to  psychic power, the Gautama Supreme Buddha taught people what was suitable for them.
However, because you don't have psychic power, a starting point is to ask (with equanimity) the other person what they think will happen at death.  

user8534: Relief from the fear of death comes from the recognition of the true self. When one recognizes that the body is not the self, the mind is not the self, etc., and that one's true nature is timeless, the fear of physical death subsides. Death is a stripping away of all of those things that are not self anyway. 

user-1: One could take the opportunity to explain the Dhamma or give instructions on insight meditation practice. 
The only way to really overcome this is to take the fear as the object of meditation and learn about it and understand it by discovering its characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and not-self - The Three Gateways to Liberation.

user-1: Once two old people approached the Buddha, Upasaka Saptha Visuddhi, and told that they missed to made merits, now fearing death. The Buddha, honest forward, for the sake of benefit for many listening to it, Simply said, that they fear righteously and then utterd:

It's swept along:
life, its next-to-nothing span.
For one swept on by aging
no shelters exist.
Keeping sight of this danger in death,
do meritorious deeds
that bring bliss.
Whoever here is restrained
in body, speech, & awareness,
who makes merit while he's alive:
that will be for his bliss after death.
AN 3.51

Often it's good that the Ox sees the down so that he moves faster, if one still does not hurry, one is no match even for on ox, as Ajahn Chah once told.
If having done merits, having arrived to all blessing (Upasika Nina van Gorkom, now over 90 already if still alive, once gave Atma one of here teachings on it, to be shared as gift of Dhamma further), what has one to fear? And no need to hurry any more.
Look at all the youth, all those who are drunken in youth, health and live, yet they do not really fear, wasting this precious time that could be over even today.
[Note: This is a gift of Dhamma, not meant for commercial purpose or other wordily gains]

8044: <p>For those who are scared of growing old and death, what would be a well thought out response be? My first thoughts on it would be, if you learn to meditate, you are going to enjoy your old age, and you will never fear death. But that is not an answer that will go down well with many people. So this is a question that cries out for a mature, seasoned response?</p>
 151: <p>A good response is one of good demonstrative right intention(or action). </p>

<p>Then they might inquire further  and if so, maybe tell them about some fundamental Dhamma.</p>
 8157: <p>Similar to a modern counselor, the Gautama Supreme Buddha was '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person-centered_therapy" rel="nofollow">client centered</a>'. </p>

<p>Due to  psychic power, the Gautama Supreme Buddha taught people what was suitable for them.</p>

<p>However, because you don't have psychic power, a starting point is to ask (with equanimity) the other person what they think will happen at death.  </p>
 8534: <p>Relief from the fear of death comes from the recognition of the true self. When one recognizes that the body is not the self, the mind is not the self, etc., and that one's true nature is timeless, the fear of physical death subsides. Death is a stripping away of all of those things that are not self anyway. </p>
 -1: <p>One could take the opportunity to explain the Dhamma or give instructions on insight meditation practice. </p>

<p>The only way to really overcome this is to take the fear as the object of meditation and learn about it and understand it by discovering its characteristics of <em>impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and not-self</em> - The Three Gateways to Liberation.</p>
 -1: <p>Once two old people approached the Buddha, Upasaka Saptha Visuddhi, and told that they missed to made merits, now fearing death. The Buddha, honest forward, for the sake of benefit for many listening to it, Simply said, that they fear righteously and then utterd:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It's swept along:</p>
<p>life, its next-to-nothing span.</p>
<p>For one swept on by aging</p>
<p>no shelters exist.</p>
<p>Keeping sight of this danger in death,</p>
<p>do meritorious deeds</p>
<p>that bring bliss.</p>
<p>Whoever here is restrained</p>
<p>in body, speech, &amp; awareness,</p>
<p>who makes merit while he's alive:</p>
<p>that will be for his bliss after death.</p>
<p><a href="http://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.051.than_en.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AN 3.51</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Often it's good that the Ox sees the down so that he moves faster, if one still does not hurry, one is no match even for on ox, as <a href="http://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/lib/thai/chah/insimpleterms_en.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ajahn Chah once told</a>.</p>
<p>If having done merits, having <a href="http://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/lib/authors/vangorkom/greatestblessing_en.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">arrived to all blessing</a> (Upasika Nina van Gorkom, now over 90 already if still alive, once gave Atma one of here teachings on it, to be shared as gift of Dhamma further), what has one to fear? And no need to hurry any more.</p>
<p>Look at all the youth, all those who are drunken in youth, health and live, yet they do not really fear, wasting this precious time that could be over even today.</p>
<p><em>[Note: This is a gift of Dhamma, not meant for commercial purpose or other wordily gains]</em></p>
