The Treasury of Lives

Gyelse Sonam Deutsen (rgyal sras bsod nams lde'u btsan) was born in 1675, the year of wood-hare in the eleventh sexagenary cycle. One of the sources has 1679 as his year of birth and other year variants are 1672/73-1721/22. His father was Katok Rigdzin Longsel Nyingpo (kaH thog rig 'dzin klong gsal snying po, 1625-1692), who was credited with revitalizing Katok Monastery (kaH thog)  in the seventeenth century. His mother was Wangmo Lhakyi (dbang mo lha skyid).

As an infant he was identified as the reincarnation of Rigdzin Dudul Dorje (rig 'dzin bdud 'dul rdo rje, 1615-1672) a famous treasure revealer associated with Katok.

He studied with his father and a number of eminent Nyingma teachers including Taksham Nuden Dorje (stag sham nus ldan rdo rje, b. c.1655), the First Dzogchen Drubwang Pema Rigdzin (rdzogs chen grub dbang 01 pad+ma rig 'dzin, 1625-1697), Terdak Lingpa Gyurme Dorje (gter bdag gling pa 'gyur med rdo rje, 1646-1714), and the Eighth Zhamar, Pelchen Chokyi Dondrub (zhwa dmar 08 dpal chen chos kyi don grub, 1695-1732).

He served as abbot of Katok following the tenure of Longsel Nyingpo's nephew Orgyen Lhundrub (o rgyan lhun grub), the son of his paternal uncle Tashi Wozer (bkra shis 'od zer).

Katok Rigdzin Tsewang Norbu (kaH thog rig 'dzin tshe dbang nor bu / pad+ma tshe dbang nor bu rdo rje dpal 'bar, 1698-1755) who visited Katok around 1720 was his main disciple.

At the age of forty-nine, in 1723, the water-hare year of the twelfth sexagenary cycle Gyelse Sonam Deutsen passed away. He was succeeded by his nephew Tsewang Trinle (tshe dbang 'phrin las) to the seat of Katok Monastery.

His reincarnation was identified as Drime Zhinkyong Gonpo (dri med zhing skyong mgon po, 1724-1760), the first in a line of prominent incarnations at Katok knonw as the Drime Zhingkyong.

His son, Japur Lama ('ja' phur bla ma) left Katok and lived in Powo on his way to settlement in Pemako. There, he had a son name Kengen Tulku (mkhan rgan sprul sku), who was the father of Dudjom Rinpoche, Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje (bdud 'joms rin po che 'jigs bral ye shes rdo rje, 1904–1987).