Jangsem Sherab Zangpo

Jangsem Sherab Zangpo (byang sems shes rab bzang po), was born in Kham, in a place called Karma, or, alternately, at Bershi (sber gshis) in Nangchen. His father was Bege Tongpon Rilu (sbe dge stong dpon ri lu) and his mother was Akyima (a skyid ma).

At the age of seven Sherab Zangpo received lay vows from the Fifth Karmapa, Dezhin Shekpa (karma pa 05 de bzhin gshegs pa, 1384-1415), who was most likely on his way to or from China. The Karmapa gave him the name Sherab Zangpo.

Soon after, wishing to devote his life to religion, he went off to study with lamas of the Karma Kagyu tradition, most likely in Karma Gon, in Nangchen (kar+ma dgon) namely Choje Chopel Zangpo (chos rje chos dpal bzang po) and Rinchen Pelwai Khenpo (rin chen dpal ba'i mkhan po), who gave him his novice ordination. He studied sutra and tantra with these two lamas, and another named Jamchopa Jamyang Drakpa (byams chos pa 'jam dbyang grags pa). In particular he trained in Avalokiteśvara, Vajravārahī, and the dharmapela Bernakchen (ber nag can), a form of Mahākāla important to the Karma Kagyu. He also trained in Prajñāpāramitā and the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra.

While still a young man, around the age of twenty-three, Sherab Zangpo went to Tibet, where remained for eleven years, including six years at Ganden and three at Drepung. There he studied with Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa (tsong kha pa blo bzang grags pa, 1357-1419), Gyeltsabje Darma Rinchen (rgyal tshab dar ma rin chen, 1364-1432), Kedrubje Gelek Pelzang (mkhas grub rje dge legs dpal bzang, 1385-1438), and others. From Tsongkhapa he received the Lamrim Chenmo (lam rim chen mo), teachings on logic, the Mādhyamakakarika, the extensive commentary on the Guhyasamāja (dpal gsang ba 'dus pa'i 'grel pa sgron gsal mchan), as well as the Kālacakra commentary Vimalaprabha, and Cakrasaṃvara and the Naro Chodruk.

Sherab Zangpo also trained with the Jonang tradition, studying with Sonam Rinchenpa (bsod nams rin chen pa) and Tsetang Shakya Sanggye (rtses thang shAkya sangs rgyas). According the recent biography of him, he also trained with a number of Sakya lamas as well, receiving teachings on the collected works of Sakya Pandita and numerous initiations and instructions.

Sherab Zangpo's teachers urged him to return to Kham, which he did in 1426, attracting numerous disciples and forging ties with local religious and political leaders. He traveled the Kham region teaching and performing rituals at monasteries and hermitages such as Kyoda (skyo mda' dgon). He taught the Lamrim Chenmo and the Ngakrim Chenmo (sngags rim chen mo), Kālacakra, Guhyasamāja, and other subjects.

In 1437, at the urging of his disciples, he established Chamdo Chokhor Jampel Ling (chab mdo chos 'khor byams pa gling) at the confluence of two tributaries of the Mekong, the Ngomchu (ngom chu) and the Dzachu (rdza chu).

Sherab Zangpo died in 1457 at the age of sixty-three.

Sources

Grags pa 'byung gnas. 1992. Gangs can mkhas grub rim byon ming mdzod. Lanzhou: Kan su'u mi rigs dpe skrun khang, pp. 1117-1118.

Byams pa chos grags. N.d. Chab mdo byams pa gling gi gdan rabs. Chamdo: chab mdo par 'debs bzo grwa par btab, pp. 36-54.

Alexander Gardner
February 2010