Update

It's been a while since I was actively involved with Waking Down, but now experience the urge coming back. It is mostly an impatience combined with a sense of the tremendous value of the Waking Down approach.

I have talked with Sean and Kelly (mentor), and feel more comfortable with some of the aspects that turned me off earlier. Mostly because I see how there is a diversity of approaches among the WD folks including those that speak more to me.

Nothing Special

After talking with Kelly, and also listening to some of Saniel's audio recordings, I realized one of the reasons why I had/have the strong reactions to aspects of Saniel's approach.

I have a strong need for seeing the practice and results as nothing special (everything and everyone is Buddha Mind already, we just need to realize it - and glimpses of the realization is always close at hand). Saniel seems to have a need to emphasize it as special and different.

My need for emphasizing the ordinariness is related to my opening experience. I was profoundly alone in my experience, with no-one around who could relate to it. I was continually reminded that it was "special" and I wanted it to be thoroughly ordinary in every way. Ordinary for me, and grounded in my ordinary life - and if possible, ordinary for those around me.

Both approaches are valid (just emphasizing one or the other end of the polarity which the phenomenon itself goes beyond), and speaks to different people and even the same person at different times. They are complimentary approaches.