11th Surmang Garwang

The 11th Surmang Garwang was born in Riwochi. His father was a minister in this region and his mother an accomplished practitioner. The eight-year-old 16th Gyalwa Karmapa identified him as the reincarnation of the 10th Surmang Garwang on request of the 11th Surmang Tenga Tulku.

Surmang Garwang became a close student of the 2nd Jamgön Kongtrul Rinpoche. His main practice became that of the four-armed Manjushri and Yamantaka.

When he felt that Tibet would face dramatic changes through the invasion
of the Chinese, he tirelessly gave empowerments to benefit the people of Tibet. To
protect his mother, it is said that he entrusted a Zambala statue to her, which was a tertön
treasure. He himself left his body when he felt that he could no longer fulfil his aspiration
to reincarnate under better circumstances.