About Taegosah > History
 
   태고사가 자리한 곳은 수백만년 전 화산활동, 지진 및 홍수가 잦았던 곳으로 최근 수천년    동안 이곳의 동식물들은 땅과 기후에 적응하여 왔으며 아메리카 원주민들이 오랜 세월 살    아 왔던 곳입니다.

   이백년 전쯤 유럽 사람들과 다른 곳의 미국 사람들이 옮겨와 살기 시작했으며 1972년에    몇몇 사람들이 미 정부로부터 땅을 불하 받아 채석자과 유전, 금과 등을 개발하기 시작했    습니다.    그 후 돼지와 염소, 양을 치는 목장이 되었다가 1993년에 무량스님께서 1년여의 답사 끝에 이땅을 찾아내시어 태고사를 짓기 시작하였습니다.

o 1994. 9. 17 무량스님 이주
o 1995. 8. 30 요사채 밎 축전지 저장소 건립 착수
o 1998. 4 건축 중인 요사채에서 숭산 스님 특별법회
o 2000. 4. 26 요사채 개원식 및 대웅전 기공식
o 2001. 7. 24 대웅전 상량식
o 2003. 3. 2 관음전 봉불 점안식
o 2004. 1. 1 관음전 봉불 점안식
o 2004. 5. 30 평화의 종 종각 기공식
o 2004. 9. 19 태고사 10주년 개산대제

This land appears today though volcanoes, earthquakes and floods over millions of years. The animals and plants here have adapted to the land and climate for many thousands of years. The native people lived continuously in this area for countless hundreds of years.

Europeans and Americans moved here with in the last two hundred years. Several people bought this land from the U.S government in 1982 and mined it for rocks, oil, and gold for over a century.  Later another man rised pigs, goats, sheep here. Finaly, in Septmber of 1993, Mu Ryang Sunim found this canyon after a long search. Here is the history of the last ten years.

o Sep 17, 1994 Mu Ryang Sumim moves to this canyon
o Aug 30, 1995 Begin construction of Residence and Battery Vault
o April 1998 Dharma Assembly with Seung Sahn Sunim
o Apr 26, 2000 Opening Ceremony for Mountain Spirit Center
Groundbreaking Ceremony for Buddha Hall
o July 24, 2001 Roof Ridge Ceremony for Buddha Hall
o Mar 2, 2003 Opening Eyes Ceremony for Buddha
o Jan 1, 2004 Opening Eyes Ceremony for Kwan Seum Bosal
o May 30, 2004 Groundbreaking Ceremony for Peace Bell Pavilion
o Sept 19, 2004 10 Year Anniversary Ceremony

Mountain Spirit Center is affiliated with the Kwan Um School of Zen, founded in America by Zen Master Seung Sahn. The temple also has a strong connection with the Korean American community in Southern California as well as adjacent regions.

The Abbot of Mountain Spirit Center is Mu Ryang Sunim, a student of Zen Master Seung Sahn since 1979. After becoming a monk, Mu Ryang spent four years living and practicing in Korea. Upon returning to the United States, he spent several years searching for a suitable site for a mountain temple. He completed the purchase of this property in 1994, and has been living and practicing here since.

The temple is located on a wonderful energy point according to oriental principles of geomancy. The land itself has long been a place where the native people of this area came to conduct their vision quests, and it is the center's hope to honor and continue this tradition of spiritual practice.

Mountain Spirit center is being built with a deep concern for the environment. The temple is off the electrical power grid - electricity is generated on site by the power of sun and wind. Well water is reused for irrigation of native plants and trees; therefore, care is taken to not use toxic chemicals, soaps, or detergents. It is our goal to develop the temple in a sustainable and environmentally beneficial manner.