If we go by the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother no work or profession should be a hindrance. It is the attitude that is of utmost importance.
This of course is the general truth. But it is equally true that some professions or work are more a natural expression of one’s inmost soul, swadharma, while others are less so. That may create an initial difficulty but if we surrender the work and accept that this is the place and the work that the Mother has given me and do it diligently as Her service then any and all work becomes a means of uplifting one’s consciousness towards Her.
There is also the factor of the psychological environment and the work atmosphere that can be quite challenging vis a vis the deeper and higher spiritual life. Here again apart from the attitude and the offering of one’s actions, one can turn this into an opportunity to practice equanimity as well as to feed the fire of inner aspiration that the world may become a better place.
If one feels strongly that despite the effort a particular work or the atmosphere is creating negative reactions then it is best to look within for the inner causes and overcome them. Changing the work should be only a last resort (as far as inner progress is concerned) and mainly if one feels a higher calling for another line of work rather as a reaction to the difficulties one is facing. It is a fine balancing between the ideal one aspires for and the ground reality that may be overwhelming and necessitate a change to keep going.
In general however all kinds of work can become a means to grow in yoga by cultivating the right attitude, turning it into a means to overcome personal preferences, biases, fixed views, by cultivating wideness, suppleness and an inner generosity and tolerance towards others, by growing in humility and sincerity, by the practice of nishkama karma, above all through consecration and surrender of all one does to the Divine.
There is a letter of Sri Aurobindo where he speaks of his own example of engaging even in ghor karma such as politics and raising the possibility of an armed rebellion against the British.
In principle therefore the nature of the work does not matter. However each one has to feel for oneself and in certain kinds of works the risk of negatively influencing the consciousness is certainly there which is why the Mother discouraged people engaging in politics. Similar thing could be said about corporate business where power and money is the lord.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
