The Fourth Zurmang Gharwang
The name of the Fourth Zurmang Gharwang Tulku was Karma Gyaltshen Lodroe Namgyal. He was born in Kongpo amidst many auspicious omens, and was in complete accordance to the unerring vision of Kunchog Lama, who was a learned disciple of the Karmapa.
The Fourth Zurmang Gharwang incarnate was a person of tremendous spiritual attainment. As a young child, he often spoke articulately of his previous lives. With uncanny clarity, he recounted his days in India as the incomparable Tilopa; and prior to that, to an earlier time when he was a disciple of the Buddha known as Richen Choedak Chang.
It was during this period of time that young Karmapa (The Eighth Gyalwa Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje, aged eight) visited Zurmang, and experienced a series of visions revealing to him unreservedly the many details of his previous incarnations.
The Fourth Gharwang was an accomplished practitioner. When he engaged himself in the Zurmang Nyengyud practice, he received tremendous lineage blessings, and innate wisdom spontaneously appeared. Because of his deep realisation, he became a principal teacher of the Mahāmudrā Lineage, especially adept in the profound teaching of the Six Yogas of Naropa.
Extolling his superior spiritual qualities, the Chinese emperor bestowed upon him the honorary title of Khentin, which in brief means, “Indisputably, a great master”.
The Fourth Gharwang Tulku entered mahaparanirvana at a relatively young age of twenty-nine. At the time of his passing, his close disciples saw their esteemed master flying high above them in the sky, heading in the direction of the Western Pureland; then miraculously reappearing again to give teachings appropriate to the occasion. Many other auspicious signs also manifested marking the demise of a Mahasattva.