In 1766 the child went to Bāḥne Samtenling (bAH gnas bsam gtan gling) and became a student of Guru Rigdzin (gu ru rig 'dzin) and Rigdzin Gyatso (rig 'dzin rgya mtsho). Rigdzin Gyatso and Sherab Mebar entered a three years strict retreat together after which the master and disciple went to meet the throne holder of Dorje Drak Monastery (rdo rje brag dgon), Kelzang Pema Wangchuk (skal bzang padma dbang phyug, 1719-1770), who had come to Dogar (mdo sgar). From what we know of the life of Kelzang Pema Wangchuk, this surely occurred in the years 1767-1770, when he resided in Kham.
Kelzang Pema Wangchuk gave Sherab Mebar instructions, empowerments, and transmissions on the Primordial Purity, Spontaneous and Self Arisen (ka dag rang byung rang shar), the second Dzogchen cycle in the revelations of Rigdzin Godem (rig 'dzin rgod ldem, 1337-1409). He also gave Sherab Mebar the name Pema Longyang (padma klong yangs).
Sherab Mebar then went west, to Dorje Drak, the mother monastery of the Northern Treasures tradition, where he met Kelzang Pema Wangchuk's chief disciple, Pema Shenyen (padma bshes gnyen), who was to be the primary teacher of the Sixth Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Kunzang Gyurme Lhundrub (rdo brag rig 'dzin 06 kun bzang 'gyur med lhun grub, c.1775-c.1810). Pema Shenyen gave him empowerments and oral transmissions, including all the revelations of Rigdzin Godem, the Gathering of the Great Assembly (tshogs chen 'dus pa, i.e. the empowerment in the Gathering of Intentions), and the three Eight Commands (bka' brgyad) systems – those of Nyangrel Nyima Wozer (nyang/myang ral nyi ma 'od zer, 1124/1136-1192/1204), Guru Chowang (gu ru chos dbang, 1212 - 1270) and, of course, those of Rigdzin Godem.
Tulku Tsullo (sprul sku tshul lo), in his Life of Gonpo Wangyal, mentions other teachers of Sherab Mebar, such as Chagzam Choktrul Yeshe Trinle (lcags zam mchog sprul ye shes phrin las).
Sherab Mebar meditated for many years on the Primordial Purity, Spontaneous and Self Arisen and the Unimpeded Access to Samantabhadra's Mind (dgongs pa zang thal), one of Rigdzin Godem's Dzogchen cycles. It is said that the mode of being of the Great Perfection, the meaning of the primordial purity, became obvious to him and he could see clearly all the good and evil of the whole phenomenal world, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa.
At some point in his career, he had a vision of Vairocana the translator, who is said to have become inseparable from his own mind. He recited continuously the heart-mantra of the Self-Arisen Eight Commands (bka' brgyad rang shar), the system for the Eight Commands practice in the Northern Treasures.[1]
He undertook to memorize all the texts of the Parkhama Gyakhab (par kha ma gya khab), which is surely the most ancient extant commentary on the Secret Essence (gsang ba snying po). He became learned in Dorje Drak's monastic codes and monastic rituals such as dances, chanting, and the construction of maṇḍala, which he would later institute back at Khordong Monastery.
As the wisdom coming forth from his meditation is said to have blazed like fire, he earned the epithet of Sherab Mebar, meaning "Fire-Blazing Discernment."
On his return voyage to Kham, he met Pema Sangngak Tendzin (padma gsang sngags bstan 'dzin, 1731-1805), the incarnation of Dzogchen Ponlob Rinpoche Namkha Wosel (rdzogs chen dpon slop rin po che nam mkha' 'od gsal, d.1726). As a result of this meeting, Sherab Mebar remained for three years in the snowy solitudes of Dzogchen Monastery (rdzogs chen dgon).
As a sign of his yogic accomplishments, it said that he once took hold of a piece of molten bronze from a bolt lightning, and packed it away in his meditation shawl (gzan), showing him to be impervious to lightning.
On leaving Dzogchen he settled back at Khordong. The biography explains that he changed the name of Khordong to Tubten Ewaṃ Chokhorling (thub stan e wam gsang sngags chos 'khor gling), a name that more closely connects it with Dorje Drak.
At some point, Shukjung Monastery (shugs 'byung) in Do (rdo), originally a Sakya institution, was given to him by the local chieftain (rdo stod dpon). Sherab Mebar converted it to the Northern Treasures and entrusted it to Gyelrongwa Kelzang Gyatso (rgyal rong ba skal bzang rgya mtsho).
Sherab Mebar's brother, Awo Chung Agye (a bo chung a rgyas) and his wife Awo Za Trabu (a bo bza' khra 'bu) had ten daughters, but no son. Multiple prophecies by Cheyol Terton (che yol gter ston), Pawo Lerabtsel (dpa' bo las rab rtsal), and Tongpon Dorje Lhundrub (stong dpon rdo rje lhun grub) indicated that "If the practice of the vase of siddhi is accomplished [with] maturing the key-points, a true incarnation of the conquerors will be born." Hoping for a male heir to the family, Sherab Mebar set more than one hundred monks on the performance of the vase-accomplishment of the Sādhana of the Awareness Holders (rig 'dzin gdung sgrub), the peaceful Padmasambhava practice of the Northern Treasures. His nephew and heir, Khordong Terchen Nuden Dorje ('khor gdong gter chen nus ldan rdo rje, 1802-1864), was born soon after.
While Sherab Mebar was practicing the propitiation and accomplishment of the Eight Commands, it is said that he saw the face of the Great Glorious Heruka. He kept a life-long daily commitment to recite the full supplication of the protectors of the Northern Treasures tradition, and once had a vision of the Six-Armed Mahākāla with his consort and son, the main protectors of the tradition. The deities swore to serve him and the tradition, hence Sherab Mebar's instruction to future practitioners:
My courageous followers,
Exert yourself in practice of this Protector.
Practice uninterruptedly the offerings, prayers, and entrusting activities.
It is the wish-fulfilling jewel [among] Protectors.
Sherab Mebar passed away in his sixty-third year, in 1814, on the third day of the second mongolian month of the wood-dog year.
Bibliography
James Low, ed. 2013. Collected Works of C.R. Lama, Simply Being.
Tshul khrims bzang po (Sprul sku Tshul lo). 2014. Dus gsum kun mkhyen padma’i rgyal tshab dpa’ bo dgyes rab rdo rje rtsal lam mgon po dbang gi rgyal po’i sde’i rnam thar gyi bkod pa ngo mtshar dad pa’i ’khri shing. In Sprul sku Tshul khrims bzang po'i gsung 'bum, vol. 8, p. 1-110.
Chos dbyings. 2015. Byang gter thub bstan rdo rje brag gi chos ’byung. In Snga 'gyur byang gter chos skor phyogs bsgrigs, vol. 62, pp. 714-723.