Minam Rinpoche was born on 3 March 1966 in the Ga-xiong village of the Nangchen district within the Qinghai province. Until 1980, Rinpoche was living as a herdsman, learning Tibetan and preliminary Buddhist theories on his own. In 1980, he was ordained at Ka-Trashi Monastery of the Drikung Kagyu tradition, and began to receive teachings, transmissions and ritual instructions of the Drikung Kagyu school. Later, Rinpoche entered a retreat to complete the preliminary practices as prescribed in the Mahamudra Ngondro. It was during this retreat that Rinpoche often dreamt of going to India, and for this reason, he asked his parents for their permission to travel to India. But because his parents did not agree to his request, Rinpoche left without notifying his family and in 1988, he successfully reached Nepal and India where he met several accomplished masters.

At the sight of His Holiness The Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, Minam Rinpoche (then named Konchog Thrinley) felt spontaneous devotion, as if meeting the Buddha in person. Thus, The Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche became Minam Rinpoche’s guru. Shortly after, Rinpoche attended the Drikung Kagyu Institute of Buddhist Studies and completed the five-year college education. With the guidance of The Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, Minam Rinpoche entered the traditional three-year-three-month retreat, practicing the Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa. After completing the retreat, he was appointed by The Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche as the retreat master of the Ka-Trashi Monastery.

In 1987, when H.E. Adeu Rinpoche arrived in India, he discussed with H.E. Choegon Rinpoche about the search of the tulku of Nangchen Wamlung Monastery. A few years later, Choegon Rinpoche requested Adeu Rinpoche to take on the responsibility for the search. After the rituals performed by Adeu Rinpoche, it was confirmed that the retreat master of the Ka-Trashi Monastery, Konchog Thrinley, was indeed the reincarnation of previous Minam Rinpoche. The search report was presented to Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche and confirmed by him. Thus, in 1997, Konchog Thrinley was officially enthroned in the Drukpa Kargyud Monastery in Tashi Jong, and became the Minam Rinpoche of the Drukpa Kargyud Nangchen Wamlung Monastery.

In June 1997, when Minam Rinpoche returned to the Nangchen Wamlung Monastery in Qinghai, several auspicious signs prevailed with loud thunder and rainbows appearing in the clear blue sky. This further endorsed the reason why Minam Rinpoche, when he was still a child, often claimed that the toy house he built was the Nangchen Wamlung Monastery. Because the search was done cautiously according to the tradition and rituals, and was requested by Choegon Rinpoche, revered for his spiritual attainments, both the ordained and lay Sangha were able to have immediate devotion and respect for the newly discovered Tulku of the Nangchen Wamlung Monastery.

The restoration of the main shrine hall and construction on the retreat quaters were successfully completed in 1998. Minam Rinpoche offered finance education and accomodations to the fifteen young monks who had no permanent living quaters. Due to shortage of funds, the classes are conducted in makeshift rooms in the main shrine. The students have to stay in the already crowded rooms of the older lamas