The Treasury of Lives

The Twenty-third Ngor Khenchen, Jamyang Namkha Pelzang ('jam dbyangs nam mkha' dpal bzang) was born into a nomadic family in Sakya, in 1611, the iron female pig year of the tenth sexagenary cycle. His father was named Khortsa Dara (khor tsha da ra) and mother was Khormo Nordzom (khor mo nor 'dzom). They gave him the name Karma (kar ma).

At a young age he was brought to the Tsedong Palace (rtse gdong) at Sakya Monastery (sa skya dgon pa), where he learned reading, writing and daily prayers. Soon after he was brought to Ngor Monastery, Pel Evaṁ Choden (ngor dpal e waM chos ldan), where he received lay vows, and later full monastic ordination,   from the Seventeenth Ngor Khenchen, Drangti Namkha Sanggye (ngor mkhan chen 17 brang ti nam mkha' sangs rgyas, d.u.), who gave him the name Namkha Pelzang.

At Ngor he studied sutra and tantra traditions, with a focus on Lamdre (lam 'bras) a central Sakya tradition, under several teachers, including Drangti Namkha Sanggye; the Fourteenth Ngor Khenchen, Sharchen Jampa Kunga Tashi (ngor mkhan chen 14 shar chen byams pa kun dga' bkra' shis, 1558-1603/1615); the Eighteenth Ngor Khenchen, Sharchen Sherab Jungne (ngor mkhan chen 18 shar chen shes rab 'byung gnas, 1596-1653); the Sixteenth Ngor Khenchen, Pelden Dondrub (ngor mkhan chen 16 dpal ldan don grub, 1563-1636); and the Twenty-second Ngor Khenchen, Jamgon Pelchok Gyeltsen (ngor mkhan chen 22 'jam mgon dpal mchog rgyal mtshan, 1599-1673).

In 1671, at the age of sixty-one, Namkha Pelzang was enthroned to the abbacy position of Ngor monastery as the twenty-third Ngor Khenchen. He passed away the following year, at the age of sixty-two.