Gyalse Tulku was born in 1980 to a nomad family in the Bumthang region of central Bhutan. His predecessor, Adzom Gyalse Tulku, the third son of Adzom Drukpa, was a terton, the author of numerous liturgies and texts, and had many important disciples.

In 1958, Adzom was arrested and put in prison where he gave teachings to his fellow inmates. He passed away in 1969 with many miraculous signs, and left a letter predicting the date and place of his future rebirth and the names of his future parents. Eventually, the letter was given to Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche who sent a search party who found the correct parents, but returned to Nepal with the wrong son.

Realizing their mistake, Khyentse Rinpoche asked for the son born in the year of the Iron-monkey. By then Gyalse Tulku was nine years old. He came to Nepal and was recognized by Khyentse Rinpoche as the incarnation of Adzom Gyalse Gyurmed Dorjee. He became a monk at Shechen Monastery and took numerous teachings and empowerments from Khyentse Rinpoche.

In 2004, he completed the intensive nine years course in Buddhist Philosophy and graduated from the Shechen Shedra (Philosophical College) in Nepal. He teaches at the shedra and presides over the large ceremonies in the moanstery. He has a small retreat center in Bhutan.