The 4th Zurmang Kunsang was born in 1940, in the vicinity of Dzin Gar Monastery. He is the glorious emanation of Sogpo Lhapal, one of the twenty-five foremost disciples of the eminent Guru Padmasambhava. Although he was born the son of a poor nomadic family, many portents accompanied his birth. It was well known that on the evening of Rinpoche's birth, the dwelling in which he chose to enter the world was bathed in a supernatural light. People of the surrounding region were so astounded by this spectacular display of auspiciousness that they came to a conclusion that the newly born could not possibly be an ordinary being. Nevertheless, his unexcelled status was not confirmed until a year later by The 10th Zurmang Tenga when he was invited to Dzin Gar Monastery.
 
Traditional resources reveal that, one morning while staying in the grounds of Dzin Gar, the The 10th Zurmang Tenga left explicit instructions to his attendants that all visitors to the Labrang must be directed to him without delay. The Labrang was unusually quiet that day. It was not until mid-day that an impoverished lady with a baby came by, the lamas invited her to see Rinpoche. Upon seeing the young child, Tenga Rinpoche instinctively reached out to embrace him. An inquiry into the parents' background fulfilled the prediction of the lineage's supreme guru, The 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, concerning the circumstances leading to the discovery of The 4th Zurmang Kunsang Rinpoche.
 
It transpired that The 10th Zurmang Tenga had in his gawu, a letter by His Holiness containing decisive indication of the new Kunsang incarnate. Shortly thereafter, The 10th Zurmang Tenga proudly declared that the young child was indeed the incarnate of the Zurmang Tradition. He carefully entrusted the child prodigy in the care of the Dzin Gar dignitaries before returning to Zurmang to make preparation for the return of the glorious Kunsang.
 
The 4th Zurmang Kunsang returned to Zurmang at the age of four and was enthrone to his seat at the age of six. At the age of seven, he began his monastic training and receives many sacred teachings, initiations, oral transmissions from His Eminence, The 11th Tai Situ Rinpoche and the incomparable 2nd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche. At the age of fourteen, the 4th Kunsang travelled to Nyingma Zhe Chen Monastery to receive the full transmission and initiation of Mahamudra from the great Zhe Chen Kongtrul Rinpoche. The 4th Kunsang Rinpoche then returned to Zurmang at the age of seventeen to further his spiritual practice.
 
In spite of his tender years, The 4th Zurmang Kunsang displayed consistently an innate clairvoyance at which those around him never ceased to marvel. As he grew older, he taught magnificently and drew many disciples to him. His sphere of influence was so far-reaching that it spanned across QingHai to Mongolian borders.
 
His otherwise brilliant career was sadly interrupted with the deterioration of the Sino/Tibetan relationship. In the years following the unrest, religious practice was severely curtailed. Young 4th Kunsang, merely twenty-one years of age, was hastily sentenced to an indefinite jail term. Heedless of the insurmountable adversity that befall him, throughout his long ordeal in prison, The 4th Kunsang exemplified the living epitome of the Bodhisattva way-of-life by meditating incessantly on love and compassion which he regarded as foremost to all spiritual practice.
 
When he was eventually released from captivity, he was twenty-eight years old. As circumstances remained unconducive to spiritual pursuits, Kunsang Rinpoche travelled to Dom-dhar and lived for twelve years amid his disciples, with many of which he had close affinity from his previous incarnation. It was not until China began to adopt a more liberal policy relating to religious matters, that Kunsang Rinpoche was permitted to return to Zurmang. Courageously, he assumed his inevitable role as a spiritual guide at the ancient Zurmang Complex of Monasteries. Untiringly, he served the cause of dharma together with the late 11th Tenga Rinpoche.  ** ..