Paul Eduardo Muller-Ortega is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Michigan State University.

• LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1. Introduction and Methodological Considerations 2. The Historical Context 3. The Symbol of the Heart in India Prior to Abhinavagupta 4. The Heart as Ultimate Reality 5. The Heart as Embodied Cosmos: Kula 6. The Heart: Vibration and Emissional Power 7. The Heart and Natural Metaphors 8. The Heart as Mantra 9. Conclusion: The Heart Attained APPENDIX NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

"Muller-Ortega's approach is good, clear, intelligent, and perceptive. The translation of the Paratrisika-laghuvrtti given in the appendix, being the first English translation of this short but important text, is a very useful contribution to the study of Kashmir Shaivism, and so are the long and numerous quotations in the text of other works, as yet untranslated into English, of Abhinavagupta." — Andre Padoux, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris

Paul Eduardo Muller-Ortega is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Michigan State University.

• LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1. Introduction and Methodological Considerations 2. The Historical Context 3. The Symbol of the Heart in India Prior to Abhinavagupta 4. The Heart as Ultimate Reality 5. The Heart as Embodied Cosmos: Kula 6. The Heart: Vibration and Emissional Power 7. The Heart and Natural Metaphors 8. The Heart as Mantra 9. Conclusion: The Heart Attained APPENDIX NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

"Muller-Ortega's approach is good, clear, intelligent, and perceptive. The translation of the Paratrisika-laghuvrtti given in the appendix, being the first English translation of this short but important text, is a very useful contribution to the study of Kashmir Shaivism, and so are the long and numerous quotations in the text of other works, as yet untranslated into English, of Abhinavagupta." — Andre Padoux, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris

Paul Eduardo Muller-Ortega is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Michigan State University.

• LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1. Introduction and Methodological Considerations 2. The Historical Context 3. The Symbol of the Heart in India Prior to Abhinavagupta 4. The Heart as Ultimate Reality 5. The Heart as Embodied Cosmos: Kula 6. The Heart: Vibration and Emissional Power 7. The Heart and Natural Metaphors 8. The Heart as Mantra 9. Conclusion: The Heart Attained APPENDIX NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

"Muller-Ortega's approach is good, clear, intelligent, and perceptive. The translation of the Paratrisika-laghuvrtti given in the appendix, being the first English translation of this short but important text, is a very useful contribution to the study of Kashmir Shaivism, and so are the long and numerous quotations in the text of other works, as yet untranslated into English, of Abhinavagupta." — Andre Padoux, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris