The Treasury of Lives

Shongton Lotsāwa Dorje Gyeltsen (shong ston lo tsA ba rdo rje rgyal mtshan) was born in Tolho (stod lho) in the fourth decade of the thirteenth century. He was ordained as a novice in the Sakya tradition at young age.

He received many tantric and sutra teachings, including the Kālacakra and the Dekye Trengwa Korsum (bde kye phreng ba’i skor gsum) from Golungpa Dode Gyeltsen (go lung pa mdo sde rgyal mtshan, d.u.). He also studied astrology and learnt how to perform rituals and build sand mandalas. With Tsanar Lama Sakde (tsa nar bla ma srag bde, d.u.) he studied Prajñāpāramitā, epistemology, and Abhidharma and received the oral transmission of the Dro tradition ('bro lugs).

In 1265, to fulfill his wish to translate Buddhist scripture, Dorje Gyeltsen traveled to Nepal under the patronage of Drogon Pakpa Lodro Gyeltsen ('gro mgon 'phags pa blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1235-1280). There he studied astrology, poetics, metrics, performing arts, and lexicography -- the five "minor studies" -- under Paṇḍita Sawang Zangpo (paN Di ta sa dbang bzang po, d.u.).

After returning to Sakya Monastery (sa skya), Drogon Pakpa ordered him to first translate the expository tantra of the Kālacakra  (dus 'khor rgyud 'grel) known as the Shonggyur (shong 'gyur); his translation is still regarded as accurate today. Drogon Pakpa himself praised the work in a letter, stating that Dorje Gyeltsen had accomplished something that numerous other translators could not have done.

Dorje Gyeltsen then traveled to Bodhgaya where he worshipped at the Mahābodhi Temple and where he met the Indian Paṇḍita Lakṣīmakara, with whom he returned to Tibet. Together the two translated numerous texts and produced the Tibetan poetry system the Mirror of Poetics (snyan ngag me long ma) and the important collection of former lives of the Buddha, the Wish-fulfilling Tree (byang chub sems dpa'i rtogs pa brjod pa dpag bsam 'khri shing), by Kṣemendra

He wrote several books on astrology, such as the Lamp Which Illuminates the Planets (gza' gsal bar byed pa’i sgron me), and a translation commentary of the Chime Dzod ('chi med mdzod), a book of synonyms.

Dorje Gyeltsen established an oral transmission tradition of teachings on Sanskrit and poetry, training several scholars. His chief disciple was his cousin Shong Lotsāwa Lodro Tenpa (shong lo tsA ba blo gros brtan pa, d.u.). Lodro Tenpa’s chief disciple was Chokden Lekpai Lodro (mchog ldan legs pa'i blo gros, d.u.). Lekpa'i Lodro’s chief disciple was Pang Lotsāwa Lodro Tenpa (dpang lo tsA ba blo gros brtan pa, 1276-1342).

The year of Shongton Lotsāwa Dorje Gyeltsen's death is not known.