Tonpa Shenrab is the founder of the Bšn tradition. He was born in the heavenly realm of Olmo Lung-ring as the middle brother in a family of three. All three of them desired to be of the greatest benefit to all sentient beings. Under the advice of the Enlightened Buddha of Compassion, Shenla Odkar, they chose to be born in three different ages as human teachers. Tonpa Shenrab was the one born in the present age, at dawn on a full moon night in the first month of the Tibetan calendar, in the year of the male wood mouse, 18,000 years ago. After marrying young and siring eight sons and two daughters, he renounced the world. He lived to the age of 82 years of Olmo Lung-ring.

Tonpa Shenrab made one trip to Tibet in this lifetime, blessing the mountain Kong Po Bšn Ri and pacifying the local spirits inhabiting the area at that time. He stopped the local tradition of making animal sacrifices and taught peaceful means of appeasing evil spirits. At the time he felt that Tibet was not yet ripe to receive the deeper teachings of Yung Drung Bšn, but prophesied that they would eventually flourish there.

A later emanation of the speech of Tonpa Shenrab named Mucho Demdung taught many students in Olmo Lung-ring. Among these were masters from many lands, such as Tag Zig (Persia), Zhang Zhung (Western Tibet, includeing Mt. Kailash), India and China. Thus the teachings spread and permeated the culture of many countries.

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