Mountain Spirit Center, also known as Taegosa, grew from the vision and dedication of Mu Ryang Sunim, an American monk and student of Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn.

In the early 1990s, Mu Ryang Sunim set out to create a place where the tradition of Korean Zen could take root in the mountains of Southern California. In 1994, he acquired more than 300 acres in Sand Canyon near Tehachapi and devoted the following years to bringing that vision to life.
 

Beginning simply—living on the land while the center took shape—Mu Ryang Sunim dedicated much of his own resources, time, and labor to the project. With the help of Zen students, supporters, the Korean-American community, and traditional craftsmen who traveled from Korea, the temple gradually rose from the rugged mountain landscape.

Inspired by the teachings of Zen Master Seung Sahn and the architecture of Korea's mountain temples, Mountain Spirit Center was envisioned not only as a place of Buddhist practice, but as a bridge between cultures—a place where people of different backgrounds could encounter the practice of Zen.
 

Today, the traditional Korean temple buildings standing among the rocks and junipers are the result of decades of dedication, generosity, and practice.