Dagchen Lodrö Gyaltsen Pal Zangpo, the twenty-first Sakya throne holder, was born in a village named Chammo Moyang near Sakya in 1444. His father was the eighteenth Sakya throne holder Jamyang Namkha Gyaltsen and his mother was Machick Pakjung Gyalmo. His elder brother is Sherab Gyaltsen, the twentieth Sakya throne holder.

Dagchen Lodrö Gyaltsen was ordained by Jamyang Konchok Zangpo and received the name Lodrö Gyaltsen Pal Zangpo. He later received his full monastic vows from Muchen Konchok Gyaltsen.

He received many mantra empowerments and transmissions from his father and other masters such as Dagchen Dragpa Gyaltsen, Loppon Chenpo Sangye Paldrup, Je Won-Drupchen Konchog Lodrö, Choeje Palden Gyalpo, Loppon Pal, Jamyang Konchok Zangpo, Je Sangye Palsang, Drupchen Kunlo, and Choeje Lo Rinpoche.

At the age of fourteen, he was appointed as the regent. Dagchen Lodrö Gyaltsen spent three years teaching and benefitting beings all over the Do-Kham region. He accomplished numerous yidam practices. Rinpoche visited Nalandra and Pelkhor Dechen, teaching the Tripitaka and the four classes of tantra. He also taught Lamdre more than twenty times.

Among his students were Panchen Shakya Chog, Kunkhyen Gorampa, Minyag Panchen Dragpa Dorje, Zhupa Sonam Rinchen, Rabjampa Sangye Lhundrup, Dagchen Sonam Gyaltsen, Dagchen Kunga Tashi, Khenpo Dewai Jungnay, Choeje Sangye Palsang, Jetsun Doringpa Chenpo Kunzang Chokyi Nyima, and many others.

Dagchen Lodrö Gyaltsen’s compositions included The Explanation of Full Enlightenment, Guidance on the Non-differentiation of Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa, and Clarification of the Meaning Through Symbols.

In 1495, at 52 years of age, Dagchen Lodrö Gyaltsen passed into parinirvāṇa.