Geshe Tenzin Sherab-la was born in Tibet in Lhatse, Tsang Province into a large farming family. Early on he attended the Chinese school, but due to economic considerations left when he was 12 to help the family with farming and herding. He longed for further education, so in 1987 when his visiting uncle, a geshe of Sera Je Monastery and student of Geshe Lhundub Sopa-la advised him to go to India to study, he determined to go. He first made a secret exit into Nepal, and continued on to India to hear His Holiness the Dalai Lama give teachings at Deer Park in Sarnath. After the teachings he was ordained as a novice monk by His Holiness and given his current name—Tenzin Sherab.
He subsequently entered Sera Je Monastery in South India, and studied and memorized texts for one year. Following the monastery's curriculum for the next nine years, he passed through the sequence of classes in collected topics of debate and logic, perfection of wisdom literature, middle way texts, ethics, and metaphysics, along with Buddhist logic studied over the whole period. He then advanced to the Lharampa Geshe studies and six years later in 2008 became a lharampa geshe, the highest rank. Next, after studying at Gyume Tantric College for one year, he returned to teach dialectics at Sera Je secondary school, followed by serving on the Sera Je Monastic Education committee.
Geshe Tenzin Sherab-la's main teachers include: Jangtse Choje Rinpoche Lobsang Tenzin, Geshe Lobsang Delek (current abbot of Sera Je) and his uncle Geshe Ngawang Chosang.
Jangtse Choje Rinpoche had often suggested to him to come to Deer Park to teach westerners and Tibetans on completion of his geshe degree. This was followed by two letters of invitation sent by Geshe Lhundub Sopa-la. As soon as Geshe Tenzin Sherab-la's commitments were fulfilled at Sera Je, he arrived in Deer Park in early May 2013 before His Holiness' visit.
Geshe Tenzin Sherab-la serves as the current resident teacher, and his great wish is to teach what he knows to others, including the Deer Park students. Initially he needs a translator, but is working toward the goal of teaching in English. He started teaching the Thursday evening classes at Deer Park in September 2013, and his great qualities are very evident, making the students feel how fortunate we are to have another pure and dedicated geshe to lead us on the path.