Lama Sangye Monlam was born in 1955 in the Khyungpo region of Kham (Eastern Tibet) into a family living the traditional life of half-nomads, half-farmers. In 1959, during the Chinese invasion, his father went missing, and for many years was presumed dead. Lama Sangye lived with his mother and siblings and was taught to read and write by his mother and an uncle. Between ages 9 and 12 he went to school, where there was little reading, writing and arithmetic and much slapping around of pupils.
Between ages 17 and 22 he did road construction work (under very harsh conditions), while continuing to help his family with farm work. Then, aged 22-27, he worked as a yak-herd and shepherd in collectivized agriculture, again, under very hard conditions, living outdoors with the animals all year round with hardly any shelter even in winter.
In 1979, to Lama Sangye's great surprise and joy, a letter from his father - missing for 20 years an presumed dead - arrived, telling his family that he was alive in Indian exile, that he had become a monk in Menri monastery in Dolanji, and that he wanted his sons to come and see him.
This journey to India took a few years to organize, but in 1982 Lama Sangye went to Dolanji together with his younger brother to see his father. He was overjoyed to find his father alive, and he met the 33rd Menri Trizin Lungtok Nyima Rinpoche, Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche and Tsedrug Khenpo Tsondrug Rinpoche. He did a Mawai Senghe retreat of one week and received the Mawai Senghe empowerment from Menri Trizin Rinpoche.
Then Lama Sangye went on a pilgrimage with his brother. Together they completed the Khora of Mt. Kailash 23 times, and one more time by prostrations. They also circumambulated lake Mapham three times.
After returning to Dolanji via Dolpo in Nepal, he lived in Dolanji together with his father and brother happily for a year. When his father told his sons that one of them had to become a monk, Lama Sangye, at the age of 29, took vows from Menri Trizin Rinpoche and Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche and became a monk at Menri monastery. Thereupon, his father and and brother went back to Tibet.
Lama Sangye then began drubdra (meditation school) at Menri under Tsedrug Khenpo Tsondrug Rinpoche, who, however, died after the first year, when Lama Sangye had just completed Ngondro. He continued drubdra for another two years under the 33rd Menri Trizin Lungtok Nyima Rinpoche and Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche. During drubdra, he received transmission of (Shardza Rinpoche's texts) Kusum Rangshar and Kunsung Nyingthig from Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, and learned Tsa Lung (Tummo), and Trulkhor from Menri Trizin Rinpoche. Also during drubdra, Lama Sangye received empowerments of all 120 Bon Yidams.
After Lama Sangye's third year of drubdra, he was sent together with the doctor Tsotram Sangye to the tiny monastery Tashi Gegyi Thadan Ling in Dhorpatan, a Tibetan refugee settlement in a remote area of Nepal, after an urgent appeal for help by the abbot Sonam Gyaltsen. At Dhorpatan, Lama Sangye was responsible for conducting rituals, leading recitations, and performing various rites for people who requested them.
When Lama Sangye had been in Dhorpatan for two years, Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche went to Kathmandu and founded Triten Norbutse, and Lama Sangye joined him to help. Thus he has been active in building and constructing Triten Norbutse monastery in Kathmandu from the very beginning.
Under Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche's instruction, he studied and practiced all Bon rituals and recitations and especially the ritual music in a profound way for about two years, and then worked as a Nyerpa (manager) of the monastery for seven years, while continuing to receive teachings from Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche.
Then, Lama Sangye started drubdra a second time, in Triten Norbutse, and this time completed all four years and received his Drubthonpa diploma from Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche in 2001. During drubdra he received transmission of all four great Dzogchen cycles of the Bon tradition (and of many additional texts and practices), training in the traditional way of "hearing, thinking, practicing". He completed the 100 day Tsa Lung (Tummo) retreat and the 49 day dark retreat.
After completing Drubdra, Lama Sangye was sent to Normandie in France, together with Geshe Gelek Jinpa and one other monk to demonstrate to western science (represented by Harvard researcher Dr. Herbert Benson) the effects of Tummo. Returned to Nepal, Lama Sangye spent a year travelling, visiting Dhorpatan again, among other places. Then, he worked in the household of Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, cooking for him and Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung.
At some point Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche told Lama Sangye: now you have to go into retreat again. Accordingly, Lama Sangye went into Drenpa Sangdrub retreat, where, for four years, he practiced the four generosity rituals every day and spent the rest of the day in meditation and reciting Drenpa Namkha's mantra.
In 2007, after four years of Drenpa Sangdrub retreat, Lama Sangye was sent by Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche to Shenten Dargye Ling in France. While living in France, Lama Sangye has also taught in other European countries, in particular in Austria and the Netherlands. In Fall 2011, Lama Sangye Monlam taught Tsa Lung, Tummo and Trulkhor for 10 weeks as part of Shenten Dargye Ling gomdra.