Gyalwa Nyipa Nyammed Sherab Gyaltsen was born in 1356–1415. In spiritual reality he is a manifestation of Sherab Mawe SengGe (the Wisdom Lion of Speech) and a great liberator of the ages.

 

He was born in Gyarong in the village of Tegkyog. His father was a Tantric master known as Lugyal from the Ra lineage and his mother was Rinchen Men. He was born with extraordinary signs which symbolized he was a special child. From a very young age, without tutoring, he could recite mantras and was self-aware. He learned the very basic reading and writing of Bön, grammar, alphabets, poetry, divination, astrology and learned general ceremonies and the healing aspect from his father. Without much effort he was able to learn everything easily so everyone knew he was an extraordinary child.

 

At the age of 10, seeing the natural exhaustion from the suffering of cyclic existence, he then followed the teacher Cha Lama gYung Drung Gyaltsen. First by taking the vows of lay people and continuing he gradually became a monk receiving 25 vows and was given the spiritual name Sherab Gyaltsen. From then on he received the higher teachings of Bön, such as Dho, Nag and Sem of the Path of Renunciation, Path of Transformation and Path of Liberation. With respect and full effort he practiced and learned mainly from the teaching tradition of Yeru Wen Sakha and also by following the Great Master Rinchen Lodoe he received complete transmission of empowerment (wang), oral transmission (lung) and oral instruction (tri) of the three main streams of Bön teaching Dho, Nag, and Dzogchen.

From the most respected abbot Tsultrim Yeshe at the age of 31 in 1386 he received full-ordained monks vows and entered into the great center of learning of Bön, then Yeru Wen Sakha Monastery in Tsang province. He also participated in other well know Buddhist intuitions and monasteries, Sangphuk Netok, Ratoed, Dewu Kyetsal and Nalando Institute. He became very well known in Tibet and among the learned he was well received and was a great full wisdom scholar.

During his stay in the monastery Yeru Wen Sakha he took charge of one of the schools. He also became a tutor of two royal sons of Dru lineages and enthroned as successor of Kunga Wanden the famous master of the Dru lineages. He then took full responsibility for preserving and spreading the teaching of the outer, inner and secret Bön. The Bön community in all of Tibet knew him by 'Great Realized Master and Perfection of Wisdom Eye'. Significantly, he applied and enlivened the ancient system for monastic law so that equally among all monks there was a clear knowledge of what it took to be a monk. Every monastery adopted this structure and equally still follows the one system.

In 1405 he founded the original sMenri Monastery on the same mountain range as Tashi sMenri Ling, after landslides destroyed Yeru Wen Sakha. Then, as he was prophesized by protector where to build the sMenri Monastery, he went to that place. With support and miracle powers he built the whole structure of sMenri Temple with monks living quarters. There he kept alive the traditions and teaching system of Yeru Wen Sakha the Dru lineage.

From that time on the Tashi sMenri Ling Monastery became the central focus of all Bönpos and known as the mother monastery of Bön (Ma Gon). Until his last moment of life he preached the teachings of Bön, spread and connected the lineage of tradition of Bön to the new generations or his fellow successors. He passed away at the age of 60 leaving behind his most well known successor Gyaltsab Rinchen Gyaltsen, Nari Sonam Gyaltsen and the many great scholars raised under his care and wisdom. He became the crown ornament of the Bön (Bön Gyi Tsug Gyen) for his mastery of text, systems, rules, and all levels of life, he became as the second Buddha.

There really isn't any text of the three sections of Dho, Nag and Dzogchen that he didn't teach or write about in all the three transmission lineages of Bön. This is his main contribution, connection and transmission to the present state of Bön lineage.

From then till today the same tradition and lineage is preserved unbrokenly till the present spiritual leaders of Bön, H.H. 33rd sMenri Tinzin Lung Tok Tenpi Nyima Rinpoche and his Eminence Yong Zin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche.