Name Variants: Chokyi Gyaltsen; Ganden Tri 06 Chokyi Gyaltsen; Lhanwa Sowa Chokyi Gyaltsen; Tatsang 01 Chokyi Gyaltsen

Baso Chokyi Gyaltsen was born in 1402 in Lato, the younger brother of Tsongkhapa's disciple Khedrub Je Gelek Pelzang. His father was a nobleman, Tashi Peltsang, and his mother was Budren Gyelmo. He ordained young, and soon came under the tutelage of Yongdzin Khedrub, as well as his esteemed elder brother.

Chokyi Gyaltsen next studied with Jampel Gyatso (1356-1428), who gave him initiations in Guhyasamaja, Chakrasamvara, Vajrabhairava, and Cho, and the transmission of the Ganden Mahamudra, together with the root text of the transmission, the Trulpai Legbam Chenmo.

Chokyi Gyaltsen traveled to Tsang, where he either founded or took over the monastery of Baso Lhundrub Dechen, earning himself the epithet Baso Choje. He founded a hermitage nearby, Wenne Dechen Puk near Senggetse in Tsang Shabto where he taught to many disciples.

Intent on removing himself to yet more isolated territory, Chokyi Gyaltsen was preparing to go to Kashmir when he was ordered to assume the throne of Ganden Monastery. According to hagiographies, it was Tsongkhapa himself who appeared in a dream and charged him with the duty, although the actual call came from the previous throne holder, Choje Lodro Chokyong and the Gendun Drub , who was then residing at Tashilhunpo in Shigatse. Lodro Chokyong had asked Gendun Drub, who declined, recommending Chokyi Gyaltsen in his stead.

Chokyi Gyaltsen assumed the throne of Ganden in 1463 and remained until his death in 1473. There, among other accomplishments, he is credited with transforming the main chapel of Ganden into a large temple and installing the gold gilt image of a form of Manjushri known as Sanggye Sengge Ngaro which is behind the golden throne. Chokyi Gyaltsen had three principle disciples, known collectively as the Three Dorje Brothers: Chokyi Dorje (b. 1457), Pelden Dorje from Tolung and Dorje Pelwa, from Kham. Little is known of the latter two.

With the discovery of his reincarnation, Wonpo Lhakyab, the Tatshag line of incarnations was instituted, with Chokyi Dorje being identified posthumously as the first.

Sources Tshe mchog gling yongs dzin ye shes rgyal mtshan. 1970 (1787).Biographies of Eminent Gurus in the Transmission Lineages of the teachings of the Graduated Path, being the text of: Byang chub Lam gyi Rim pai Bla ma Brgyud pai Rnam par Thar pa Rgyal mtshan Mdzes pai Rgyan Mchog Phul byung Nor bui Phreng ba. New Delhi: Ngawang Gelek Demo, vol 1, p. 923 ff. Willis, Janice D. 1995. Enlightened Beings: Life Stories from the Ganden Oral Tradition. Boston: Wisdom Publications, pp. 48-55. Willis, Janice D. 1985. Preliminary Remarks on the Nature of rNam-thar: Early dGe-lugs-pa Siddha Biographies. In Soundings in Tibetan Civilizations. Barbara Aziz and Matthew Kapstein, eds. Delhi: Manohar, pp. 304-319. Alexander Gardner December 2009 TEACHERS Jampel Gyatso b.1356 - d.1428 Khedrubje Gelek Pelzang b.1385 - d.1438 (Name Variants: Gelek Pelzang) blo bzang grags pa'i dpal blo gros sbas pa STUDENTS shes rab seng+ge kun dga' bde legs grags pa bsam grub rin chen bshes gnyen yon tan rgya mtsho 'phags pa lha kun dga' bde legs rin chen ye shes rtse mo dpal 'byor lhun grub Chokyi Dorje b.1457? (Name Variants: Cho Dorje; Drubchen Chokyi Dorje; Wensa Nyomba) kun dga' don grub dpal ldan rdo rje rdo rje dpal ba

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