The 8^th Dagpo Chenga Tulku Konchog Tenzin Thrinle Lhündrup was born in 1968 in the village below the monastery of Drikung Thil in Tibet. Dagpo (or Gampo) Chenga is the 8^th reincarnation of the heart son of Gampopa (sgam po pa, 1079-1153).

From his young age Dagpo Chenga revealed a virtuous personality as well as a sharp mind. In 1981 Drubwang Pachung Rinpoche (1901-1988), the great yogi and retreat master (khri dpon) at Drikung Thil, advised him to become a monk and imparted on him important teachings. He recommended to study and practice The Four Dharmas of Gampopa and the Six Yogas of Naropa. Since then Dagpo Chenga received instructions from many eminent teachers.

He studied at Drikung Buddhist College and at the Tibetan College in Lhasa. Dagpo Chenga also attended the Medical and Astrological College. He studied the Ten Aspects of Knowledge, as well as natural sciences, social sciences, and history and became very erudite in many fields of knowledge. Dagpo Chenga is considered one of the most learned lamas of the Drikung tradition.

Already as a young student he began writing papers on many subjects of Tibetan history and Tibetan Buddhism under his name Rase Konchog Gyatso. Among his books are a History of Yangrigar monastery, The Main Seat of Pagdru Kagyu, The Benefit of Being Vegetarian, and a seven-volume publication entitled A Faithful Speech that shows how to develop, improve and spread the Dharma tradition of the Drikung Kagyu in the future. Rase Konchog Gyatso also authored a book entitled The Mothers in the Land of Snows. This work about famous women in the history of Tibet filled a blank spot and was praised by many scholars.

In 2004 an exquisite set of thangkas was painted by Penpa Tsering, a famous pupil of the renowned thangka painter Amdo Jampa, depicting the throne holders of the Drikung Kagyu lineage, as well as thangkas of the Fivefold Path of Mahamudra, The 25 Main Disciples of Milarepa, and The Eight Types of Incarnations of Jigten Sumgon. All the paintings were executed according to the detailed iconographical explanations written down by Dagpo Chenga.

Of paramount significance is his voluminous scholarly book on The History of Drikung ('bri gung chos 'byung) published in 2004, containing the general and particular history of the Drikung lineage. In 2007 Rase Konchog Gyatso composed The Ornament of Gongchig, a detailed refutation of criticisms brought forward against the famous Gongchig teachings of Kyobpa Jigten Sumgon (1143-1217) bestowed upon his disciple Chenga Sherab Jungne (1187-1241). In addition he authored several short texts on Lord Jigten Sumgon, Achi Chokyi Dolma, Angon Rinpoche, a history of Drikung Thil Monastery, an introduction to the famous Drikung sky burial ground, and a booklet on the holy places in the Drikung area.

Rase Konchog Gyatso published several texts on Buddhist studies, among those commentaries on the Fivefold Path of Mahamudra and on the Essence of the Three Vows (sdom pa gsum). He compiled the daily rituals of the Drikung Kagyu in two volumes and authored a number of papers concerning special Drikung teachings, including a Phowa text of the Drikung tradition called The Color of the Rainbow.

For almost ten years Rase Konchog Gyatso collaborated with H. E. Drikung Angon Rinpoche and some monks from Drikung Thil Monastery to rescue the most important works of the Drikung Kagyu tradition, by collecting, assembling and editing The Great Treasury of Drigung Kagyu, which accumulated to 150 volumes. This body of scriptures is now in the process of being translated into Chinese and English by the Drikung Kagyu Marpa Translation Center, organized by Balok Rinpoche.

According to a request by H. H. Chungtsang Rinpoche, Rase Konchog Gyatso is currently writing A Comprehensible Explanation of the Thirteen Major Subject (gzhung chen bcu gsum), being the thirteen fundamental treatises on Buddhist philosophy.

Dagpo Chenga’s writings are like his oral instructions very precise, straightforward, and clear. They are marked by a profound insight and remarkable scholarship. This way he is working very hard for the benefit of Buddhism in general and the Drikung lineage in particular.