The First Lingla, Sonam Jinpa (gling bla 01 bsod nams sbyin pa) was born to the Lingtsang (gling tshang) family in Dzagyud Troshul (rdza rgyud khro shul) in Kham around the year 1767.
He enrolled in Dzogchen Monastery, Rudam Orgyen Samten Choling (rdzogs chen ru dam o rgyan bsam gtan chos gling) and studied the oral transmission (bka' ma) and treasure (gter ma) traditions of the Nyingma tradition under a number of outstanding teachers, including the Third Dzogchen Drubwang, Ngedon Tendzin Zangpo (rdzogs chen 03 nges don bstan 'dzin bzang po, 1759-1792); the fourth abbot of Dzogchen Monastery, Pema Kundrol Namgyel (pad+ma kun grol rnam rgyal, 1706-1773); and the Second Dzogchen Ponlob, Pema Sangngak Tendzin (rdzogs chen dpon slob 02 pad+ma gsang sngags bstan 'dzin, 1731-1805). He also received advanced instructions on the Dzogchen Sangwa Nyingtik (rdzogs chen gsang ba snying thig) along with associated empowerments and transmissions. He put these teachings into practice, meditating for an extended period in the caves and hermitages surrounding Dzogchen Monastery. His reputation grew and eventually became known as a highly realized yogi, earning the name Ling Drubtob (gling sgrub thob)
Although the year of his death is unrecorded, according to his hagiography he lived for a long time. His reincarnation, Tubten Nyinje Gyeltsen (thub bstan nyin byed rgyal mtshan, d.u.) served as the seventh abbot of Śrī Siṃha College (shrI sing+ha bshad drwa) at Dzogchen Monastery. Tubten Nyinje Gyeltsen took the name of Lingla, after which Sonam Jinpa was posthumously given the title of First Lingla.
Bibliography
Bstan 'dzin lung rtogs nyi ma. 2004. "Gling bla sku rabs rim byon (7)" In Snga 'gyur rdzogs chen chos 'byung chen, p.389.Beijing: Krong go'i bod rigs dpe skrun khang. TBRCW27401