Ryan Conlon

This dissertation offers the editio princeps, along with an annotated translation, of the Ratnavali by Kamalanatha (c. 11th century). It is one of the few commentaries on the Hevajratantra known to be extant in Sanskrit, and although the author is now an obscure figure, the content of his text became widely disseminated through the work of Abhayakaragupta, who made extensive use of it in compiling his own compositions. This dissertation also provides a new edition of the Hevajratantra, as well as a detailed study to contextualise the issues raised in Kamalanatha’s commentary, such as the difference between the tantric and non-tantric Buddhist religion, the characteristics of full awakening, and the role of sexual practices in achieving that state.