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Focus on the Inner Call, the Inner Experience and the Inner Presence as the Basis of the Spiritual Practice · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  In our outer lives in the world, an enormous focus and emphasis
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  is placed on development of skills that can bring success,
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  remuneration or power to the individual.
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  It may be development of the physical body to such a degree
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  that one can become pre eminent in some specific sport or
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  competitive activity. Those individuals who succeed in
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  this arena become world renowned celebrities and can earn 10s or
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  even hundreds of millions of dollars in their career through
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  the sport and through the endorsements and opportunities
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  that arise as a result of their name recognition and the
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  adulation bestowed upon them by their fans.
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  Which itself becomes a source of leverage for further income as
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  they parlay that recognition into lucrative opportunities.
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  If the development takes place in the mental field, people
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  become scientists, technologists, inventors, or may
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  become highly skilled and fluent in the details of translating
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  ideas into real world results for the leading individuals in
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  their respective fields. There are prizes, recognition,
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  financial remuneration and careers that can follow.
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  Or they may be able to create some new technology or
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  methodology that catapults them into the lead in business.
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  In the field of art and culture, based on a blending of physical,
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  vital and mental capacities. There are also enormous
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  opportunities that come to those who are skilled and highly
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  trained in their respective activities.
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  Those who develop strong powers of the vital nature can become
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  dominant leaders, managers, political leaders, and
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  charismatic role models. We thus naturally believe that
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  success in the spiritual field must follow along a similar line
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  and that mental, emotional, vital or physical skills must
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  play an important role in achieving spiritual realization.
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  This actually is a mistaken idea that can lead to an
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  overconfidence by those who bring their developed skill sets
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  to the practice of yoga. They may excel at carrying out
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  the physical asanas or become leaders in a particular path or
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  methodology, but that does not imply that they are actually
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  advancing quickly on the spiritual plane.
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  They may actually be impeding their progress by their focus on
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  the external skill sets that are so rewarding in the outer life,
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  rather than on the inner movement and totally different
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  types of skills needed to shift the awareness away from the
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  trappings of outer worldly success, recognition and wealth.
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  Alternatively, those who do not bring those specific worldly
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  skills to the process may feel discouraged if they interact
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  with those who have mental attainment, artistic
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  capabilities, vital leadership roles, or physical capacities.
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  There is, however, no need for such discouragement, as it may
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  be that what they bring to the process is even more important
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  in the spiritual realm than all the capacities Sri Orobindo
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  notes quote. A simple, straight and sincere
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  call and aspiration from the heart is the one important thing
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  and more essential and effective than capacities.
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  Also to get the consciousness to turn inwards, not remain outward
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  going, is of great importance to arrive at the inner call, the
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  inner experience, the inner presence.
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  End Quote. Reference Shriya Rabindu and the
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  Mother Looking from within, Chapter 5.
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  Attitudes on the Path, page 113.