Dromton Gyelwa Jungne

• Name — Dromtönpa • Native Name — འབྲོམ་སྟོན་པ་རྒྱལ་བའི་འབྱུང་གནས་ • Religion — Buddhism • School — Initiator of the Kadam school • Other Names — Dromtön Gyelwé Jungné • Dharma Name — Gyélwé Jungne • Birth Name — Chos 'phel • Born — 1004 or 1005 • Birthplace — Tolung • Died — 1064 • Place of death — Reting Monastery • Teacher — Chief disciple of Atiśa; Grum gyi Mkhanbu Chenpo Sebtsun; studied reading and writing with Paṇḍita Smṛti • Reincarnation Of — 45th incarnation of Avalokiteśvara • Students — Chekawa Yeshe Dorje, g.Yungchosmgon, Potoba Rinchen Gsalphyogslas Rnamrgyal *1027-1105), Phuchungba Gzhonnu Rgyalmtshan (1031-1106) and Spyansnga Tshulkhrims ’bar (1038-1103) • Ordination — Lay vows with Snanam Rdorje Bbangphyug (976-1060); never ordained. • Post — Founded Reting Monastery, 1056

Dromtönpa was born in Tolung, Tibet at the beginning of the period of the second propagation of Buddhism in Tibet. "His father was Kushen Yaksherpen (sku gshen yag gsher 'phen) and his mother was Kuoza Lenchikma (khu 'od bza' lan gcig ma)." His father's title skugshen indicates he was an important figure in the Bon tradition. He began preaching in Tibet in 1042.

Dromtön is considered to be the 45th incarnation of Avalokiteśvara, an important bodhisattva and thus a member of the early lineage of the Dalai Lamas (the First Dalai Lama is said to have been the 51st incarnation). Dromtön founded Reting Monastery in 1056 in the Reting Tsampo Valley north of Lhasa which became the seat of the Kadampa lineage and brought some relics of Atisha there.