Ngok Jo Tsultrim Sherab

Ngok Jo Tsultrim Sherab (rngog jo tshul khrims shes rab) was born the elder son of Ngok Dode (rngog mdo sde) in 1115, when the latter was in his twenty-sixth year. The night before he was conceived, a female teacher named Dremo (sgre mo) advised Dode to wait until the next night to visit his consort, in in order to ensure that an amazing son would be born.

When Ngok Jo was three his mother placed him under the care of his father. After the usual studies his father conferred upon him the Hevajra teachings, and when he was seventeen he set off to be in the presence of Gampopa Sonam Rinchen (sgam po pa bsod nam rin chen), from whom he received the guidance instructions in full. He also received the Zhije teaching called the Three Lamps (sgron ma rnam gsum) from Gyelwa Lo (rgyal ba lo, d.u.). He married a woman named Dardze (dar mdzes), and his son Ngok Kunga Dorje (rngog kun dga' rdo rje) was born. Just seven months later, Ngok Jo died. He was forty-four. 

The Ngok family lineage (rngog lugs) is not well known, despite its important place in Tibetan Buddhism.  For many centuries Kagyu and other practitioners turned to them for more advanced studies of Vajrayāna rituals and texts.

Sources

Roerich, George, trans. 1996. The Blue Annals. 2nd ed. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas, p. 409. 

Tshe dbang rgyal. 1994. Lho rong chos 'byung. Lhasa: Bod ljongs bod yig dpe rnying dpe skrun khang, p. 55 ff.

Dan Martin
August 2008