SPIRITUAL ATTRACTION

The Atman--who a person really is--is drawn to Brahman, its source, like the needle of a compass to a magnet.  This attraction leads ultimately to the awakening of the Atman into Brahman, called moksha or liberation in Vedanta.

The trouble comes when the compass that is the Atman becomes covered in the dust and dirt of the thinking mind and egoic self.  Accordingly, the Atman's draw to the Brahman is lessened, which delays its destiny.

Spiritual practice, sadhana, particularly meditation, sweeps away the debris of the thinking mind and egoic self, making it possible for the Atman to find and, soon enough, unite with Brahman.

In meditation the Atman is able to see that it is not the thinking mind and egoic self that it has identified with, enabling it to disengage from them and cast them aside.