What about Buddhism specifically makes its followers so accepting of death?
Buddhists are not taught to be accepting of death. To be specific, they are taught to live well and therefore not afraid of death. There is a huge difference between the two cases. Death is a kind of suffering; but suffering is not always bad. Boon Kuan Chung’s answer to Why is suffering in Buddhism considered bad? Life is suffering regardless of whether one is born as a human or ghost, animal, Hell being, or even Deva simply because everything is impermanent. Good life now will end and the delayed suffering is still suffering. Suffering includes birth, growing old, sickness, phobia of death, association with the dislike, separation with loved ones, and not getting what one desires.
Accepting death may mean desire for non-existence. This kind of desire can lead to suffering and is not encouraged. Desire for non-existence includes premature termination of life of oneself or another; this is prohibited because the unwholesome karma will lead to bad rebirth in a woeful plane of ghost, animal or Hell realm. Accepting of death may mean one has no more wish to live. This is definitely not the teaching of the Buddha.
Conversely, Buddha teaches us to live well in the present moment; no mourning about the past and no worry about the future. Live well with no fear, obligation, and guilt (FOG); because no amount of guilt can change the past, and no amount of worry can guarantee any good outcome in the future. Living well in the present moment means treasuring and being grateful for every second of one’s life. It is contentment, therefore one will have no regret for his life and not afraid to die in the next second. One should not have grief, lamentation or despair about his life. No life is too difficult to live, and there should be no complaints about any hardship in life. A beautiful sight is just a sight; it doesn’t have to cause a feeling of pleasure. Similarly, bodily pain is just a signal to the brain; it doesn’t have to cause feelings of grief, lamentation or despair. One should just find ways to kill the bodily pain when possible, but have no regret if painkiller drug is unavailable. The core teaching of Buddhism is about ceasing of all mental suffering. Naturally, ceasing of bodily or physical suffering is encouraged but not made into a desire for existence. The Four Noble Truths say, 1) life is suffering, 2) suffering is due to desire or attachment, 3) suffering ceases when desire and attachment are abolished, 4) everyone can do it by walking the Noble Eightfold Path. There are three types of desire: sensual pleasures, existence, and non-existence. One must walk the middle path; not standing still nor striving too hard to cross the flood. When one is no longer clinging to any of these desires, he is liberated and is not afraid of death. Death is no longer a suffering for an Enlightened one; because all fetters binding him to Samsara or Cycles of Rebirth have been broken, and he has transcended the worldly definitions of suffering.
The question is how does one live well? One’s life is lived well when he uses every second to feel happy. Being in a state of equanimity is the more superior form of happiness than any kinds of sensual pleasures. When one has this Right View, he will be grateful to be alive and treasure every second until the very end of his life to cultivate himself in terms of virtue, equanimity and wisdom. One will finally have no suffering but only happiness when he totally abandons greed, hatred and delusion. The promise of good rebirth is not important anymore because he already gains much benefits from the training; he has no more attachment to any view, including the thought of good rebirth; neither is his mind troubled by the thought about escaping Samsara.
One needs to have the desire to cross the flood. However, when he has actually reached the destination, his mind will cease to be troubled by the thought about crossing the flood. The boat which was useful earlier can now be abandoned.
RESILIENT KID 