Geshe Sherab was born in 1967 in a very small village, in Manang Province, in the western part of Nepal. His parents had 5 sons and they wanted at least one or two to enter the monastery as it is an honor for Nepalis and also gives the sons the opportunity to get an education. His parents' choice fell on him, and he entered the monastery of Kopan as a boy. For him, it was just the way others go to school.
But even before he went to Sera to study Geshe, he realized that he wanted to spend the rest of his life as a fully ordained monk.
After completing his Geshe studies in Sera, he spent another year at the Gyurme Tantric College and was then sent to the USA to help out in the FPMT International Office. He also became a teacher of study groups in Taos, New Mexico and Santa Fe.
After two and a half years he decided to return to Nepal to work as a teacher in Asia. He became the school director of the Kopan Monastery and thus took on great responsibility.
He is currently spending a few months in the USA, a few months touring Europe, and a few months as a school principal in Kopan.
His great knowledge and his empathy for our Western spirit make him a very valuable teacher for us. With his humorous nature he makes it easy for us to get close to him. Geshe-la does everything on his part to ensure that no cultural, linguistic or religious barriers arise between him and us.
Geshe Sherab about study and practice:
When we begin the Dharma, the most important thing is that we try to fully integrate what we hear into our lives. I see that there are people who only deal intellectually with what they hear, and when that is the case, their hearts become very dry and narrow. They have the knowledge of a computer, they know a lot, but nothing touches their hearts. The danger is that they look down on others with less knowledge and become arrogant. Then there are people who don't study and think that practice alone is enough. But how can you practice if you don't know how to practice?
Studying is also extremely important because if you don't know the Dharma, there is a danger of being led astray by a false teacher and being taken advantage of.
I would like to emphasize that this is my own personal view and I do not want to criticize anyone. My concern is that the students integrate study and practice together, which is above all the wish of S.H. Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche.