Interview with Wan Huilin (Chinese Physical Chemist, Expert in Catalytic Chemistry)

Summary: Academician Wan Huilin dedicated his life to catalytic chemistry, successfully overcoming the international challenge of efficient conversion of light alkanes and laying the theoretical foundation for heterogeneous catalysis in China. He further transformed scientific research results into green industrial technology, significantly reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions in petrochemical processes, making an epoch-making contribution to the country's energy conservation and carbon reduction.

Interview by: Fa Ning

July 19, 2026

Wan Huilin:

Namo Amituofo. We Chinese people are truly fortunate today to have such an opportunity to be guided by the highest Buddha from the spiritual realms—Namo Amituofo—and Practitioner Su, who has realised his true nature and attained Buddhahood in the human world, to come to this place, the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

I have been here for nearly two months, and I have seen everything in the human world, especially all the spaces in our great China region, very clearly and distinctly. I also know now that there really is a Buddha in the world today, and the Buddha came to save beings; I finally understand this matter now.

I find it very lamentable that in today's society, China has imposed such large-scale restrictions on the Buddha’s teachings, not knowing that Buddhist education is truly the best and most perfect education in the universe. I often feel very emotional here, as I did not believe in the Buddha throughout my life, just like most Chinese people, yet I was still saved by the Buddha. I have kept this gratitude in my heart, always thinking about how to repay the Buddha's kindness.

Now that I have this opportunity to accept an interview from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, I must honestly share everything I have seen and heard with everyone, so that you may know the benefits of Buddhist education. I hope that everyone who knows me, Wan Huilin, or knows the many prominent figures in our great China region, can gain a deeper understanding of the Buddha’s teachings through our interview!

My life had nothing to do with Buddhist education. As a chemist, or what people often call a scientist, I was an atheist and a firm materialist. We have always rejected anything related to religion; this is perhaps a common regret for Chinese people!

However, Practitioner Su has guided so many scientists to the Buddha-land. It seems that the Buddha's compassion makes no distinctions at all; the Buddha views all beings as one, hoping that all beings can one day attain Buddhahood. This is also true for this group of scientists. After arriving at the Western Land of Dharma Nature, everyone truly realised that the highest science is actually the Buddha’s teachings.

Therefore, we are all truly convinced by the skills of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, knowing that everything they do is based on the Truth and the righteous path. As for everything that science has been able to research, from my perspective now, it is really just scratching the surface. There is still a vast distance between the two!

As a chemist, everything I researched was for the sake of serving my motherland, which is the same ambition and spirit shared by many Chinese scientists. People of our generation actually held such thoughts. Because we experienced the turbulent years of the country, especially during my childhood when I went through the painful years of the War of Resistance Against Japan, I deeply understood that the development of the country must be supported by better and stronger science to ensure that the people can live a secure and good life.

As firm materialists, we all believed that science was the best way to explain the truth of the universe, and that everything in the universe had to be understood from a scientific perspective to be convincing.

It was only after I arrived at the Western Land of Dharma Nature today that I recognised the highest science in the human world—the Buddha’s teachings. In the past, I would never believe, nor would I ever think, that the Buddha’s teachings—a doctrine that seemed to exist like a religion—could possibly explain everything in the universe well.

I am a person who studied chemistry. For the characteristics of every chemical component, as well as the quantifiable and calculable data of various substances, I had to undergo rigorous analysis and precise calculation, not allowing for even the slightest error. We spent our entire lives hoping to use chemical knowledge to solve the dilemmas of our country and society.

I entered this field with the intention of repaying my motherland, and some of the topics I researched helped the country solve many difficulties in energy technology. Being able to make significant contributions to the country's energy conservation and carbon reduction is something our research team was very proud of.

I thought that I had dedicated my life to doing everything beneficial for the country and the people. However, after I died, I actually fell into the hells to suffer retribution, which left me very puzzled at the time.

In my understanding, hells should exist, but they were places for bad people to be punished. As a chemist like Wan Huilin, what did I have to do with hell? What wrong did I do that required such severe punishment, forcing me to suffer for more than two years in a place called the heart-gouging hell, unable to find a way out?

After arriving at the Western Land of Dharma Nature, my spirit, bathed in Buddha-light, left the space where I was suffering in hell. At that time, I saw a light shining on the top of my head, and I knew this must be the light that could save me. Therefore, I entered the light without hesitation and arrived at this Buddha-land—the Western Land of Dharma Nature—directly arriving at a lotus pedestal that belonged to me.

This place looks both familiar and unfamiliar. The reason it is familiar is that Namo Amituofo and the lotus are quite common in our Chinese understanding. Because I had never believed in the Buddha, after arriving here, I spent a long time settling down to understand what the Buddha-land was all about.

I am very touched because this Pure Land was established by Namo Amituofo to help a person in the human world who has realised his true nature—named Practitioner Su. And all of this was only possible because Practitioner Su made a vow and received the support of Namo Amituofo.

There is such a Pure Land in the human world, yet the vast majority of Chinese people and even people around the world do not know about it. Everyone is busy in their own spaces, not knowing that there is always someone better; there is always a higher authority, and there is a Buddha-land to go to.

Looking around, many beings from various places are gathered in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, and many of them have suffered in the hells just like me. Some people have even stayed in the hells for decades, centuries, or millennia, which seems to be a normal occurrence.

As for why I fell into the heart-gouging hell, what was it all about?

In the lectures given by Practitioner Su, which I listened to time and again, the importance of this heart was mentioned. Whether this heart thinks of good or evil will affect the destination of one's soul after death.

Thinking of good means viewing all people, matters, and things as good. No matter how bad the situation is, one can turn all negativity into positivity; that is to see good and think good.

However, in my character, there indeed existed a habit of seeing things negatively. Whether in research or in interpersonal matters, I always had my own subjective views. I would draw conclusions before things even unfolded, and most of them were towards the negative side. From the perspective of the Buddha’s teachings, this already violated the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. Not to mention how broad or deep my perspective was, this single step was enough to awaken the karmic creditors I had offended throughout my many lives because of my own negative thoughts, leading them to seek revenge. They could also take my name to King Yama to lodge a complaint, causing my soul to suffer in the hells, while I myself remained unaware.

Walking through life, by my later years, I felt my physical strength was not what it used to be, and my body showed various states of ageing. This also explains that I could no longer be the master of myself at that time, and I had a soul suffering in the hells, waiting for my life to end so that I would be directly sent into the hells for punishment.

Such a terrifying truth actually happened to me. I could not believe that I, as a person generally considered kind, would encounter such retribution.

Now I am completely awake, and here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I can speak a few words to everyone. I have also let go of everything from the past. Although I suffered extreme misery, at least this precious experience can serve as a lesson for everyone, and I think all of this is worth it.

Actually, the field of chemistry I dedicated my life to is quite fascinating. Chemistry itself is a study of the essence of matter. All the chemical products I researched looked very small, and many required high-powered microscopes to see their structures and understand the forms of the substances.

However, now that I am in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, looking at the high technology of Namo Amituofo, I have discovered that all this data, which we had to struggle to obtain to know the truth, can be seen by Namo Amituofo in an instant. He can discern every detail, and even know that within every chemical component, there is the existence of the Alaya consciousness.

I never knew what the Alaya consciousness was before, but Namo Amituofo can see the Alaya consciousness within every substance, even every very minute chemical component. This means he can see the existence of the sentient beings within the substance itself. Regarding this spirit, all historical experiences throughout many lives can be seen clearly, without any limitations of time and space.

This is the truth of all facts that Buddha or Bodhisattvas can see after thorough purification, with a heart as pure and good as crystal. Now I deeply believe that this is the highest technology of science. This cannot be replaced by any profound knowledge in the human world.

I am very moved by the great compassion of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su.

The reason why Buddha or Bodhisattvas can observe such minute existences in space is also to save beings. The ways in which Buddha or Bodhisattvas save beings are in the thousands and millions; it can be said that they use immeasurable and boundless ways to save immeasurable and boundless different beings.

Each being has different roots, different causal conditions, different life paths, and so on. In the eyes of Buddha or Bodhisattvas, they know at a glance what method should be used for each being to awaken them and lead them to the righteous path. As someone who has suffered in the hells, I understand even more the importance of the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way spoken of by Buddha or Bodhisattvas. All the suffering I endured was not a punishment given by Buddha or Bodhisattvas, but the result of my own karma. I cannot blame anyone else for this; it is all the result of my own karma.

Now, I am truly walking on the path of the highest science, which is far from the science I studied before. However, this does not mean that everything I studied before was not real; it only means that the science I studied before could only represent a small part of the vast science within the Buddha’s teachings, and not the full picture. Only those who have realised their true nature and attained Buddhahood can see the true appearance of all things, which of course includes the field of science.

Ha! I really did not expect that the chemistry I spent my whole life researching would be just a junior student in front of the Buddha’s teachings.

Indeed, it is because of the existence of the Buddha’s teachings that we can penetrate the truth of everything in our field of chemistry so clearly. This is such a special matter that I must strive to let more scientists, chemists, and even people around the world who believe in science know this point, and know the truth that the Buddha’s teachings are the greatest science.

People always think that the Buddha’s teachings are unscientific, so they reject them and cannot accept Buddhist education. But now it seems that there are so many scientists in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, each of whom can stand up for Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su here, and stand up for the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. This shows that the Buddha’s teachings and science are inseparable and are one and the same.

If everyone comes to understand the truth of the Buddha’s teachings, lets go of everything in their body, mind, and world, hands it over to the Buddha, and after purification, they can also, like Practitioner Su, explore the truth of all facts. When people reach such a height, the beings they help will have no limitations—they will be immeasurable and boundless.

I, Wan Huilin, and many scientists in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, all yearn to learn the Buddha's skills one day. We no longer have bodies now, which is something we feel very regretful about.

However, if what we say can be conveyed to all scientists in China, letting them know that the science within the Buddha’s teachings is so magical, I think at least we can start with them and help more people who believe in secular science to also believe in the Buddha’s teachings.

I just mentioned that I entered the heart-gouging hell after I died. Thinking about it still makes me very sad, but I must honestly explain it to everyone.

As chemists, we are very precise about the accuracy of the quantification of all substances. Therefore, I once thought, how did the good and evil deeds I did in my life, and the good and evil thoughts I had, lead to the retribution of falling into the heart-gouging hell?

Looking at it now, all of this does not require any calculation, because the interaction of mental notes is just that natural. If my mental notes are biased, if I have bad thoughts, or if there is pollution in my character, I naturally attract the fruit of hell; it is just that the time and degree of retribution differ for everyone. When the time comes, which is the time for repayment, I naturally enter the painful space to suffer retribution. Many beings in hell, because they do not have the Buddhist affinity, good roots, Causal Conditions, and blessings that I have, were guided by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to the Western Land of Dharma Nature after suffering in hell for over two years. Everyone, according to their different Causal Conditions, stays in hell for different amounts of time. All of this is within the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, without the slightest ambiguity or reluctance. I sincerely appeal to all Chinese compatriots here: wake up quickly! See the truth of everything clearly! The reason Buddhist education is so great is that it is the source of all purity and goodness, teaching everyone a pure heart of compassion and equality. Under such purity and goodness, things that people cannot imagine can be manifested. This is like the establishment of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss and the Western Land of Dharma Nature. The Buddha can use countless ways, freely and naturally, to let all beings gain spiritual rebirth and the opportunity to come to the Buddha-land to practise. This is because the hearts of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas themselves have no messy thoughts. It is like when there are no impurities in a chemical product, the power it can exert is incomparably powerful. Explaining it this way, can everyone understand? Everyone is always looking for impurities in many different items, and if an item has too many impurities, the power it can exert is relatively less pure and direct than an item that is pure. I am now in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, and I have heard that the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is an incomparably dignified and beautiful world. It is like the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, where there are many substances like lapis lazuli, each a true embodiment of purity and goodness. Because the hearts of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, when establishing these Buddha-lands, have no messy thoughts and are completely pure and good, all the substances in the Buddha-lands they establish are also pure and good, without any impurities. We chemists, wanting to extract pure items from items with impurities, find it a very difficult task, sometimes even spending a lifetime of energy on this type of research. But I did not expect that when Buddhas and Bodhisattvas establish Buddha-lands, they do it without any intention or thought, needing no ideas, relying only on their great vows and compassion, and it can be manifested, naturally reflected in every aspect of the Buddha-land. Especially what was just mentioned, the purity and dignity of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss can be seen in the Infinite Life Sutra (The Buddha Speaks the