Anders Ericsson's research on expert performance reveals that mastery is not the product of accumulated hours but of deliberate practice — focused, effortful engagement at the edge of current capacity, with immediate feedback and targeted correction. The Sutric concept of abhyāsa — sustained, uninterrupted, reverential practice — is not merely repetition but this same quality of intentional engagement with difficulty. Without the component of working at the edge and receiving correction, practice deepens existing patterns rather than developing new ones.
Each step builds on the last.