Shardza was born in 1859 in the Kham region, in the area of Dzakog, known as a birthplace of saints. His childhood was accompanied by signs considered auspicious in the tradition: unusual behavior, a tendency to teach other children, the building of stupas, mantra recitation, and visions. His calling to the spiritual path was recognized from an early age. When his parents refused to allow him to become a monk, he fell gravely ill, and only after his family gave their consent and a teacher bestowed his blessing did his condition improve, definitively confirming his choice of religious life.

His principal early teacher was Tenzin Wangyal (Drenpa Dudul), with whom, according to tradition, Shardza shared a karmic connection from past lives. He gave him refuge, a name, and the first empowerments, directing him toward the study of Sutra, Tantra, and Dzogchen. A pivotal moment came when Shardza received a direct transmission and realized the natural state of mind. From that point on, his learning proceeded with extraordinary ease, and his meditation was marked by stability and continuity. In parallel, he began systematic written work, which was later compiled into a major collection of texts.

As he matured, Shardza took all the principal categories of vows — monastic (Vinaya), bodhisattva, and tantric — observing them with exceptional strictness. He received numerous empowerments from various teachers and trained under twenty-four masters, which was rare for his time. His way of life became utterly ascetic: he completely abstained from meat, alcohol, and any conduct contrary to monastic discipline, and emphasized the importance of precise observance of vows as the foundation of the path.
At the age of thirty-four, Shardza withdrew into complete solitude, severing all ties with worldly life. He lived in extremely modest conditions, devoting himself exclusively to practice. His primary focus was on bodhichitta, the tantric stages of generation and completion, and the Dzogchen practices of trekchö and tögal in particular. He strictly followed the ancient Yungdrung Bön tradition, clearly distinguishing it from later syncretic forms, while maintaining respect for all lineages and remaining faithful to the Menri line.

After completing a long period of retreat, Shardza actively transmitted teachings, wrote commentaries and ritual texts, restored monasteries, and created conditions for his students' practice. His legacy comprises dozens of volumes of writings covering the Nine Ways of Bön, Dzogchen, Chöd, tantra, and ritual practice. In his final years, according to the testimony of his students, he manifested signs of supreme realization. After withdrawing to a secluded place, his body, as described in traditional accounts, dissolved into light, leaving only small relics — an event regarded in the Bön tradition as the manifestation of the rainbow body. His students preserved his legacy and established an annual commemoration connected with this event.