About Us

Arya Tara Ling is a nonprofit organization founded by Lama Kelsang with the support and encouragement of H.E. Dagmo Kusho (H.H. Dagchen Rinpoche’s wife ).Rooted in the aspiration to benefit all beings, we support meditation, education, study, contemplation, practice, and other meaningful initiatives. Through these efforts, we aspire to create the conditions for the Buddha's teachings to remain vibrant and accessible, so that their wisdom and compassion may benefit all beings.

Lama Kelsang

Lama Kelsang was born in 1980 into H.E. DeshunDesung Rinpoche’s Jokor family. He received a systematic bilingual education in Tibetan and Chinese through twelve years of public schooling, establishing a strong linguistic and cultural foundation for his future Dharma study and teaching.

Buddhist Studies and Lineage Training

In 2002, Lama Kelsang entered Sakya College to undertake the systematic study of Buddhism Philosophy. Under the guidance of Khenpo Gyatso Rinpoche the abbot of the college, and many learned khenpos, he studied Buddhist scriptures, philosophical systems, and the traditional sciences in depth, with a focus on the Sakya tradition.

In the course of his extensive training, Lama Kelsang received numerous empowerments, oral transmissions, profound instructions, and pith instructions from masters of the Sakya lineage, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness the Sakya Trichen , and H.E. Luding Khenchen Rinpoche.

Retreat and Practice

2008: Lama Kelsang completed a three-month Manjushri retreat at Tharlam Monastery in Nepal. During this period, he received the precious Sakya Lamdre ("Path and Fruit") empowerment and its complete transmission from His Holiness Sakya Dagchen Rinpoche. He also received guidance from Khenchen Appey Rinpoche and the Nyingma master Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche. He was subsequently appointed as Chinese tutor and senior teacher toH.E. Asnga Rinpoche.

2013: He traveled to the Palyul retreat center at the sacred site of Guru Rinpoche in Nepal to begin a rigorous three-year, three-month closed retreat. Prior to entering retreat, he received the Three Roots empowerments from Thalung Tsetrul Rinpoche.

During the retreat, he took Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche — a heart disciple of His Holiness Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok as his root Lama and systematically received the complete Nyingma Dzogchen transmissions, including empowerments, oral transmissions, scriptural explanations, and practice instructions. Under his teacher's direct guidance, he completed more than 500,000 accumulations of the Ngöndro (preliminary practices) and went on to train in the two principal Dzogchen practices of Trekchö ("cutting through") and Thögal ("direct transcendence”) together with their associated liturgies.

Teaching and Beneficial Activities

2017: At the invitation of Sakya Monastery in Seattle, USA, Lama Kelsang served as resident lama, offering authentic Dharma teachings to students and seekers from diverse cultural backgrounds and guiding them toward genuine benefit in both spiritual practice and daily life.

Founding of Arya Tara Ling: With the aspiration and support of H.E. Dagmo Kusho — dedicated in memory of her uncle, the yogi Ngawang Nima, who was Lama Kelsang's ancestor — Lama Kelsang founded Arya Tara Ling, devoted to the propagation of the Dharma, the preservation of traditional culture, and the creation of a pure environment for study and practice, offering a precious opportunity for all who have a connection to learn and practice.

2023: Appointed by His Holiness the H.H. Sakya Trizin as the guiding lama of the Tara center in Santa Barbara, California, he has been actively engaged in Buddhist education, cultural outreach, and community development.

For many years, upholding the compassionate instructions of his lineage masters, Lama Kelsang has devoted himself to hearing, contemplation, and meditation. With the great aspiration to preserve the authentic Dharma and benefit all sentient beings, he continues to offer high-quality teachings and guidance in practice to students of diverse cultural backgrounds.