The Treasury of Lives

Khedrub Sherab Gyeltsen (mkhas grub shes rab rgyal mtshan) was born in 1505, the wood-cow year of the eighth sexagenary cycle, at a place named Gutsa (gu tsha) in Kham. His father was named Panpodar (phan po dar) and his mother was called Achokma (a mchog ma). His childhood named was Penpo Bu (phan po bu).

He started to study reading, writing and liturgy at a very young age. At the age of nine he received the lay vows from a teacher named Shākya Gyeltsen (shAkya rgyal mtshan, d.u.) and was given the name Sherab Gyeltsen. Shākya Gyeltsen also instructed him in the doctrines of Madhyamaka and Vairocana and gave him numerous empowerments.

At the age of nineteen, he enrolled in Ngor Monastery, Pel Evaṁ Choden (ngor dpal e waM chos ldan), where he studied the Sakya Lamdre (lam 'bras) teachings and other traditions under many prominent masters. These included Konchok Sengge (dkon mchog seng ge, d.u.); the Ninth Ngor Khenchen, Lhachok Sengge (lha mchog seng ge, 1468-1535); the Eighth Ngor Khenchen, Jamyang Sanggye Rinchen ('jam dbyangs sangs rgyas rin chen, 1450-1524); the Eleventh Ngor Khenchen, Sanggye Sengge (sangs rgyas seng ge, 1504-1569); Paṇchen Ngodrub Pelbar (paN chen dngos grub dpal 'bar, 1456-1527); Jamyang Kuga Sonam Drukpa Gyeltsen ('jam dbyangs kun dga' bsod nams grags pa rgyal mtshan, 1485-1533), the Twenty-second Sakya Trichen; and many others.

At the age of twenty-one he was given full monastic ordination by Lhachok Sengge serving as abbot and Nyenchen Drakpa Lodro (gnyan chen grags pa blo gros, d.u.) as the ācarya. When he turned twenty-five, under the command of the Ninth Ngor Khenchen, he was appointed to the positions of chant leader and head of the assembly hall.

At the age of thirty-seven, after receiving permission to leave Ngor Monastery, he went to Kham. He gave teachings on Lamdre for about eight years, although it is not clear where exactly he did this.

In 1549, at the age of forty-five, he returned to Ngor where he continued to teach Lamdre. When Ngorchen Sanggye Sengge passed away in 1569 he was offered the abbacy of the monastery, but is said to have rejected it. However he served temporarily in 1569 until the Twelfth Ngor Khenchen, Konchok Pelden (dkon mchog dpal ldan, 1526-1590), could be installed.

Khedrub Sherab Gyeltsen passed way at the age of sixty-nine, in 1570, the earth-female bird of the tenth sexagenary cycle.