About

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For almost 30 years Cornelius has explored the mind, meditation, Buddhism, Christianity, Shamanism, Advaita Vedanta, Sufism and other pathways to enlightenment.

His studies have shown him that no religion or philosophy has a monopoly on the truth, and that all are attempts to describe what is ultimately indescribable.

Cornelius shares a coming together of all that he has discovered in a grounded, approachable and often amusingly direct way. His words have the power to radically transform your perception of reality.

Rather than being born from dry intellectual curiosity, Cornelius’ search was fuelled by a shamanic crisis and an intense desire to become one with Reality. Without a set path, it was his devotion to key spiritual figures within these paths that pulled him through. In yoga this type of devotion is called ‘Bhakti’ and is recognised as a path to enlightenment.

After many years of seeking, in 2007, on one of his frequent trips to India, in a state of great physical and emotional suffering, Cornelius ended up at Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai. Here he underwent a powerful, sudden and instantaneous awakening, unlike anything he had ever experienced. Cornelius disappeared. Everything was still the same; the birds tweeted, the cars rushed by, and people were going about their day, but Cornelius was no longer there. Instead there was an intense awareness, an aliveness, which had been there all along, but gone unnoticed. Now it was seen, and he knew that it would never be unseen. His brain burned as though it was on fire and tears rose up. He went to the mountains, sat by the Ganges and cried for weeks.

As things settled, his tendencies, faults, desires and character still expressed themselves, but his perception of this awareness, of Reality, deepened. When asked to describe this Cornelius says that it feels as though God has become aware of Itself in the mirror of his mind.

As time went by, this realisation began to travel to his heart. More and more, desire and selfishness fell away, and in their place a divine love, and irrepressible desire to serve all beings, began to arise.

To this day this process keeps deepening. While some see this state of self-realisation as the end of their path Cornelius sees awakening as a continually expanding journey that affects him in deeper and more meaningful ways as time goes by.

When asked if he is enlightened, Cornelius says he no longer knows what enlightenment is. He says he is still very ordinary; full of faults, weakness, some desire, and some suffering too, but that his perception of all of this, and Reality, is very different. He feels at one with everything.

Having a deep understanding of the underlaying dynamics that brought this awakening into being, Cornelius now helps others on the road. He offers no exact prescription, instead helping people grow within their own conceptual, cultural, philosophical and religious frameworks.

His interwoven path of Christianity, Shamanism, Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta can be very hard for some people to understand. While many see conflicting streams of thought, Cornelius says that these paths are maps of the same land, and that with the right heart and mind, the explorer can find their way home.

Cornelius, in his heart, is a committed Christian, Buddhist, Vedantist and Shamanic practitioner. He teaches through all of these lenses, effortlessly switching heads, as though going from communicating in one language to another. What becomes apparent, is that while there is a change in language, his message remains the same - LOVE and SERVICE - Love for Life/Reality/God, for the Holy Ones, for others, for animals and the Earth, and service to them. His religion is love.

Cornelius has a deep connection to Christ, Mother Mary, Padmasambhava, Buddha, Thangtong Gyalpo, Ramana Maharshi and Nagajuna. He also visits masters from a variety of traditions. Cornelius refers to himself as a wondering yogi. While his path is eclectic, and driven by devotion, he has an enduring respect for the lineages that hold and preserve the teachings of these great masters.

Cornelius has spent the last four years in a deep inner practice sustaining himself only through donations. This has been done to establish the conditions and merit that will allow him to teach and his vision for the future of Bodhimaya to take root.

He will now once again be offering one-to-one consultations, classes and retreats. He will be setting a fee for these, but if you are unable to afford any of the services he offers please ask about our Supported Learning Programme.

Committed students who are reading the recommended texts and following Cornelius’s guidance can continue to offer donations for their study and will be offered one-to-one support when it is necessary.