Chokyi Lama (chos kyi bla ma) was born was born at a place named Shab Gonga Naring (shab sgo lnga'i sna ring), in Tsang, in 1184, the wood-dragon year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle.
He studied the texts of Kadam tradition under the guidance of the third abbot of Nartang Monastery (snar thang dgon), Zhangtsun Dorje Ozer (zhang btsun rdor rje 'od zer, 1122-1194) and the fourth abbot, Droton Dutsi Drakpa (gro ston bdud rtsi grags pa, 1153-1232). He received full ordination from a lama whose name is recorded as Pelden Dromoche (dpal ldan gro mo che), who is possibly identical to Droton Dutsi Drakpa.
In 1232 he was enthroned as the fifth abbot of Nartang and served for ten years, until his death in 1241.
It is said that he authored a biography of Tumton Lodro Drakpa (gtum ston blo gros grags pa, 1106-1166) titled The Biography of Shenyen Tonpa (bshes gnyen ston pa) and possibly also biographies of Sharawa Yonden Drak (sha ra ba yon tan grags, 1070-1141) and Potowa Rinchen Sel (po to ba rin chen gsal, 1027-1105).
His reliquary was installed in the Ganden Dechen Tarpaling Temple (dga' ldan bde chen thar pa gling) at Nartang.
Bibliography
Bkras lhun dgon lo rgyus rtsom 'bri tshogs chung. 1983.Mnga' bdag chos rje kyi bla ma'i rnam thar mdor bsdus. InDpal snar thang chos sde’i lo rgyus mdor bstus, pp. 29-30. Lhasa: Bod ljongs ni dmangs dpe skrun khang.TBRC W1CZ2413.
Nam mkha' grags pa, Smon lam tshul khrims, Snar thang pa nyi ma rgyal mtshan. N.d.Gnas lnga mkhyen pa'i rnam thar. InSnar thang gser phreng.TBRC W2CZ7888.