Shankara

I liked this reading; it follows almost exactly what I was talking /blogging about in my previous posts about the Upanishads. What I like about the Shankara over the Upanishads is that it discusses in more detail the self and without actually saying it, the Brahman and Atman are the two selves I was discussing in my previous post. Just in greater detail. The Brahman would be the one that is connected to surroundings and environment; where the individual would determine who they are through what their environment entails; not saying that they would not appreciate everything in their life, because as everyone should know, the Hindus are all about loving life and everything in it… being at peace with their environment might help them into the after life. Although I am wondering right now and trying to jog my memory… is this Buddhism or Hinduism? I know that Buddhism started from Hinduism that is why I am a little confused? Because do the Hindus not have Gods? And the Buddhists are the people who are ‘Zen’ within themselves and their environment?
Anyway, the Atman was the spiritual self that I was talking about; the one that is in touch within themselves and other people. The Atman, to me, is interpreted to be the one who has cravings, and is not always able to resist temptation; which makes sense considering being in touch with yourself and really knowing who you are, you have to go through these types of things, or battles… depending on what your own life entails… I guess that is why I put that the Atman is either the cravings or the part of a personality that can not resist temptation. Either way, I feel that the Atman is the little voice in our heads that regulate our mind or like I said before, cravings/temptation.