Rational emotive behaviour therapy in perspective of Bhagwat Gita

The Bhagwat Gita offers a valuable literature on Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy. It has a determined focus on removing cognitive distortions from the mind of the Arjuna and remotivating him to fight the battle by the therapist The Krishna. The Krishna as a therapist transformed Arjuna’s distress narrated in Chapter 1 to liberation and renunciation as mentioned in Chapter 18 through a single REBT session of nearly 2-4 hours. The basic premise of REBT is that our thoughts, not external events affects the way we feel. Both REBT and Bhagwat Gita encourage human beings to pursue happiness and eliminate suffering when possible. They have an existential humanistic orientation and stress holism, at the same time both recognize human limitations. Both consider that humans are frail and need to accept human nature for what it is with unconditional acceptance of reality. Although humans are frail, they also possess the potential to improve themselves. REBT and Bhagwat Gita adhere to the idea that humans are self determined and create their own mental health as well as espouse ethical humanism and self actualization. The REBT model of the Bhagwat Gita contains elements of mindfulness, transcendental consciousness which is far more result oriented that contemporary REBT of modern times. Trust, devotion and complete surrender of patients towards the therapist as done by the Arjuna and emphasis on work with renunciation by the Krishna made REBT more effective and efficient in delivering fair results.