Editing Waking Down in Mutuality (section)

===Mutuality in organization and teaching===

As the founding teacher of Waking Down in Mutuality, Saniel Bonder is held as the original source of the basic teachings and the energetic "transmission"<ref>Khalsa, Sat Puran Singh (2008)  Journey into Spiritual Maturity: A Thematic Analysis of Transpersonal Development p. 90</ref> that is said to be at the center of the process.<ref>[http://www.wakingdown.org/teachers.asp "Waking Down - Teachers"]</ref> Part of the teaching of "mutuality" is the understanding that the way that teachings and transmission are "drawn out"  or generated from all teachers (including Bonder) is through their personal interactions with students and fellow teachers. Bonder's teachings in the 1990s were defined and refined by him in the midst of his interaction with his group of immediate students and the community around him.<ref>Bonder Saniel 2002 pp. 170-171</ref> He advocated community empowerment and a conscious honoring of each teacher's unique way of teaching within this context.<ref>[http://www.wakingdown.org/teacher_content.asp?PageID=18&typ=T/ "Waking Down - Saniel Bonder"]</ref>

It was through this give-and-take between Saniel Bonder and his students that the first Waking Down teachers were trained in an atmosphere in which students openly questioned the teacher and his actions.<ref>Bonder, Saniel (2000), The Incarnation of Mutuality pp. 5-25 Bonder records the "community forum"</ref> When control of the organization was passed on to the teachers trained by Bonder, this became the philosophy of the group as a whole.

It was Bonder's conviction that the most authentic form of living the awakened life in the 21st century is to animate one's human limitations in frank honesty rather than hiding behind a notion of the perfect teacher.<ref>[http://www.krishnasatsang.com/essay_dear_saniel.htm "Krishna Satsang - Dear Saniel"]</ref> An equally strong conviction was that whatever pain a teacher causes in his relationship with students must be openly acknowledged rather than dismissed. While it might be that a teacher's questionable actions were ultimately beneficial for everyone involved, this is never to be used as an excuse for anything a teacher does that causes hurt.<ref>Bonder Saniel 2002 pp. 140-141</ref> In Waking Down, apologizing is considered a spiritual practice known as "Coconut Yoga" and is a central part of the teaching of mutuality.<ref>Bonder, Saniel (1998),  Waking Down p. 62</ref> Bonder's work at the start of Waking Down was intensely personal and his spiritual teachings were shared alongside his emotionality, personal life, and imperfections.<ref>Bonder, Saniel (1998), The White Hot Yoga of the Heart p. 9</ref> All teachers and participants were encouraged to share similarly.<ref>Bonder, Saniel (1998), The White Hot Yoga of the Heart p. 118</ref> In WDM, the teacher is seen as being a mix of both elevated spirituality and human foibles living in relationship with the community.<ref>Khalsa, Sat Puran Singh (2008)  Journey into Spiritual Maturity: A Thematic Analysis of Transpersonal Development p. 91</ref><ref>[http://www.wholebeingawakening.com/Free%20Essays/1_self_you_didnt_want.html "Whole Being Awakening - The Self You didn't Want to Realize"]</ref>