The Treasury of Lives

Dordzin Sonam Gyatso (rdor 'dzin bsod nams rgya mtsho) was born in Bodong (bo dong) in the Tsang region (gtsang). He received teachings from numerous masters from a young age and was said to be learned in all fields of knowledge. He received practice instructions from Jikten Gonpo Rinchen Pel ('jig rten mgon po rin chen dpal, 1143-1217), the founder of Drigung Til Monastery ('bri gung mthil)

Jikten Gonpo assigned Dordzin Sonam Gyatso to serve as the retreat master of the 55,525 retreatants he is said to have sent to Mt. Kailash. Dordzin Sonam Gyatso brought the group first to Ngari (mnga' ris) from whence members spread to Sheldra (shel 'dra), Mount Nyen (nyen ri), Darlung (dar lung), Lhalung (lha lung), Tse Gye (rtse brgyad), Lemi (sle mi), Mapam (ma pham), Mum (mum), Guge (gu ge) and Purang (pu hrangs). The retreatants built hermitages in all of these places.

Dordzin Sonam Gyatso first meditated among the rocks of Guya Gang (sgu ya sgang), which is why he was also known as Guya Gangpa (sgu ya sgang pa). Later, he meditated in a cave on the back side of Mount Kailash.

He enjoyed the patronage of many powerful political figures in the Ngari region, including the king of Guge Tri Tashi Detsen (khri bkra shis lde btsan), the king of Maryul (mar yul) Lhachen Ngodrub (lha chen dngos grub), the king of Purang Taktsa Tribar (stag tsha khri 'bar) and the king of Namgonde (gnam mgon sde) and his son.

According to legend, while Dordzin Sonam Gyatso was meditating at Kailash, the mountain's protector deity appeared to him in the form of seven Indian yogis. They prostrated before him and offered him a gold nugget the size of a deer head. Seeing the gold, Dordzin Sonam Gyatso exclaimed, "What is the use of gold to a yogi who has completely abandoned the preoccupations of this life?" Just as he was about to throw the nugget down the mountain, Jikten Gonpo appeared to him. The Drigung master sang a song of realization instructing him to accept the gold in order to build a monastery. He also gave a detailed description about where to build the monastery. Later Dordzin Sonam Gyatso's cave became known as "Prediction Cave" (lung bstan phug) and the monastery he built was called as “The Monastery of the Prediction Given from Afar” (bla mas lung bstan rgyang grags dgon pa), reportedly completed in 1217.

According to Dordzin Sonam Gyatso's hagiography, he later traveled (on a dragon) to Kinnaur, known in Tibetan as Khunu (khu nu), in northern India and built several hermitages there such as Dungkar Drukdrak (dung dkar 'brug grags). Upon returning to Mount Kailash he cared for the retreatants there for a further twenty-five years before passing away.