Interview with Zhang Cunhao (Father of China's High-Energy Chemical Laser)

Summary: Academician Zhang Cunhao changed his research direction four times in his life to meet national needs, pioneering the disciplines of high-energy chemical lasers and molecular reaction dynamics in China, and making foundational contributions to national defence and basic chemical research. As an outstanding scientific administrator, during his tenure at the helm of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, he promoted the establishment of the 'National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars', willingly acting as a stepping stone to support young talent and accumulating strong momentum for the long-term development of China's scientific and technological endeavours.

Interview. Chief Writer: Fa Ning

25 July 2026

Zhang Cunhao:

Namo Amituofo. My transformation from a scientist to a practitioner of the Buddha’s teachings—this change is neither small nor large.

Now, I, Zhang Cunhao, have arrived in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, this Buddha-land. Having the opportunity to communicate with you all today is something I feel immensely honoured by.

Although human life has ended, the world after death is completely different from the world before birth. During my lifetime, I had no opportunity to explore life and death, nor the matters within the spiritual realm. At that time, in my eyes, science was the supreme dream of this life, and serving the country was my ultimate ideal. But between science and the country, what other power could have attracted me? Looking back, there really were not many other distracting thoughts. Throughout my life, I revolved around the needs of the country and scientific research; this was a cause I felt I should devote myself to wholeheartedly, and it never changed from beginning to end.

Once, 'Buddha' was an incredibly unfamiliar name to me. Now, the towering and majestic Namo Amituofo, as well as Practitioner Su in the human world, are truly and vividly before my eyes. The moment I saw them, I was truly astonished, and it overturned the knowledge and theories I had previously learned.

During this time of listening to sutras and hearing the Dharma in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I feel my heart is constantly expanding and opening up, and the scope it encompasses is continuously growing. Of course, it is still far from the Buddha-heart, but this is a very good start. Because I sincerely want to learn from the Buddha, I have been striving to continuously expand my mind-capacity, seeing higher and further.

My life came to an end at the age of ninety-six. As a scientist, I originally did not believe there would be anything after death. I believed that after people die, the end is 'dust to dust, earth to earth'. We are nourished by the earth, and after death, this body will also belong to the earth and return to the earth; this is a fact I could accept as a scientist. And this body was the entirety of me. If I could not take another breath, the body would be gone, and I would have completely disappeared.

However, things were not as I had imagined. At the moment I stopped breathing and left the human world, I did not know that I had passed away. I thought I had had a dream, a very long dream. In the dream, I seemed to have spent nearly two years, feeling somewhat lost and panicked. I kept trying to work hard in the laboratory, but I could never find anyone; there was no one to talk to or work with. I was always silently conducting experiments and writing papers, doing everything I was familiar with during my lifetime, yet I did not know that I had been spinning in a research space and had not truly moved towards the real society.

Everything I saw before me—every tool, every piece of equipment in the laboratory—was so vivid, just as I had seen in my lifetime, similar to the experiments I conducted in my youth. But why, after finishing this journey of human life, did I seem to return to the path I had travelled in my youth? At the time, I could not understand it at all, yet I did not have many other thoughts; I just kept doing the scientific research work I was familiar with in this dream.

Later, I was illuminated by a very bright light and heard someone calling my name, 'Zhang Cunhao, Zhang Cunhao'. I then woke up, feeling as if I were truly about to leave this place. So, I naturally followed the light and arrived in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, sitting upright on this lotus seat that belongs to me.

I did not expect that the changes in everything would be so unique and rapid. I began to calm down here and look at everything around me. This is a world I had never been to and had never imagined. It turned out that I had long since lost this body and had already been dead for two years.

In the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I told myself that this is another beginning of life. I tried hard to forget and let go of all my previous thoughts, and then told myself that this is a true and non-deceptive path. Everything before me, compared to what I felt in those two years of dreaming, is far more real.

Before me is the Buddha, and there are many people like me, all sitting on their lotus seats, cultivating their hearts in purity. We do not have much verbal communication, yet we can perceive each other's existence. The Western Land of Dharma Nature accommodates countless Chinese people, whether familiar or not. Everyone lives in peace and cultivates here. Only then did I realise that the Buddha I knew during my lifetime truly exists; it was not empty talk, but a reality in the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

At this moment, I felt immense respect and gratitude towards the Buddha. I know that the true principles of this universe are known only to the Buddha, because the Buddha has awakened, realised the highest realm of the spirit, and can clearly foresee the truth of all facts, thereby guiding us on a correct and unerring path of awakening.

The greatest shock this place has brought me is that it has made my heart much more settled. Without the previous panic and worry, I do not need to think too much; I naturally integrated into this world of the Buddha’s teachings and began my days of true practice. I began to learn to listen to sutras and hear the Dharma, and I began to know that Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su were nodding at me, helping me resolve my doubts. Only then did I slowly recall my actions during my lifetime and understand what everything I experienced in this life and the Causal Conditions behind it were.

In the Western Land of Dharma Nature, many things seem to have become clear. I recall my life of rushing about for national and scientific affairs, and I recall how much I enjoyed all the scientific research work. In the past, people always liked to ask us scientists: what is your ideal? What is your goal?

Actually, for our generation, having experienced the years of war and the country’s precarious situation, amidst displacement, who had the heart to think about what an ideal was? For us, whatever the country needed, that was our ideal.

At that time, the country most needed people to engage in scientific research to revitalise the nation and use many scientific methods to carry out basic construction and subsequent development for the country. Whether it was in terms of national security or promoting the development of various technologies in industry and agriculture, these were responsibilities we had to fulfil. Therefore, for us, whatever mission the country entrusted to us, that was the direction of our scientific research.

Such a simple belief accompanied me, and I felt my life was very fulfilling and rich. I thought this was what it meant for my spirit to be very rich.

Before learning the Buddha’s teachings, everyone’s concept of Body-Mind-Spirit was very vague, and I was the same at that time. I thought I had filled my spirit to the brim, applying all the knowledge related to chemistry, physics, and various subjects, which made me feel very satisfied. I thought this was my spirit at work, and it was my spirit feeling satisfaction and joy. Therefore, I was very devoted to this throughout my life, enjoying it all.

But I did not expect that after death, without this body, when I truly had spiritual autonomy, my spirit had actually lived in a dream-like place for two years without attaining liberation. I then realised that I had always been a soul without autonomy, and everyone is the same. People in the world seem to be unable to master their own destiny.

Since Practitioner Su has realised his true nature and attained Buddhahood in the human world, he can have one hundred per cent mastery over his own spirit. It is precisely because of this perfect awakening that he is able to manifest all things from emptiness, save immeasurable beings, and, with the help of Namo Amituofo, achieve the dignified and pure Western Land of Dharma Nature.

My pursuit of the Truth also stems from my early experiences. During the turbulent years of the War of Resistance Against Japan and the Chinese Civil War, the ambition to serve the country was deeply rooted in my heart.

I was born into a scholarly family; my parents were both intellectuals, and there were many intellectuals or academician-level figures among my relatives. Influenced by this, I naturally developed a strong interest and desire to explore scientific research.

At that time, our family was in Tianjin, which was on the front line of the War of Resistance Against Japan and was a very dangerous place. In order for me to settle down in the country’s rear and have the opportunity to study, my mother entrusted me to my uncle and aunt, who raised me. They were doctors who had returned from studying in the United States and were the elite of that time. Under their careful companionship and guidance, I also determined to study abroad, to absorb knowledge that could not yet be learned in the country, and to return to contribute to the country’s construction after completing my studies.

At that time, the new China had not yet been established, but I understood in my heart that regardless of which party would govern in the future or where the country would head, it was not the main point for us to consider. We all had to take serving this land as our ultimate goal. As long as we could do good things for the people and help the vast masses improve their standard of living, this was the direction we should strive for.

Having a strong interest in chemistry and physics at the time, I entered the Department of Physics at Central University and went to the United States for my master’s degree. At the age of twenty-two, although many people tried hard to persuade me to stay in the United States to continue my doctoral studies, I believed the time was ripe, and it was time to return to the country to contribute to its construction. Therefore, I resolutely embarked on the journey back, boarded a large ship, and returned to the land of my motherland with a sincere heart to serve it.

Although the scientific research environment at that time was very simple, we were tireless in exploring one subject after another and achieved many breakthroughs.

In this life, I changed my path several times, conducting in-depth research on different subjects. Sometimes it was for the country’s rocket launch programme, and sometimes it was to solve the country’s oil shortage, although the research fields were completely different. However, every turn was a response to the country’s most urgent needs. Sometimes it was also for various basic scientific research needed by the country. In any case, I could always flexibly adapt, because I believed that it was all a matter of mindset. I believed at the time that as long as I set my mindset right, no matter what the challenge was, I could do it happily, without any worries, and get the job done. This was the teaching my parents gave me from childhood, and it was an education that I found very useful throughout my life.

Being able to grow up in such a superior family environment and having such good learning opportunities, I am grateful for all of this, and I should have repaid this land that nurtured me. Our generation generally held such thoughts when doing things. Everyone dared not be picky or calculative about any subject, because we knew that every single thing we did, whether big or small, had a far-reaching impact. In fact, every piece of work was solving the people’s livelihood problems, helping to improve the people’s lives, safety, economy, education, and so on.

With this mindset, this life was considered very smooth; there were not many afflictions, and one could say I was at ease in the world of scientific research. Living until I was over ninety, my mind was still clear and bright, and being able to do things for the country made me feel very comforted and settled.

It is just that I did not expect that there really is a spiritual world waiting for us after death. Because everyone’s mental notes are different, they will go to different spaces to live different spiritual lives. Throughout my life, I was cautious and only thought about scientific research; therefore, after death, I naturally entered my own scientific research space, which is the result brought about by the attachments of a lifetime.

Because I did not know the true Buddha’s teachings, I did not know that everything done in a limited life, while appearing very real, is also illusory. The meaning of illusory is that after the spirit leaves the physical body, no matter how glorious one was in life, it actually has nothing to do with this spirit anymore. However, if these efforts can bring convenience and benefits to future generations, I think all this effort was worth it.

It is a pity that I was too attached to everything I did during my lifetime. There was also this strong 'self': what I have done, what I like to do, how I want to serve the country, and how I did this and that. In the Buddha’s teachings, this 'self' is the greatest factor that hinders people from realising their true nature and attaining Buddhahood. I never knew this before; now I understand that to attain Buddhahood, one must completely let go of the 'self' to reach that realm.

In the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I saw Practitioner Su’s skills in saving beings, and I was truly astonished. I then understood that Practitioner Su is honestly following Namo Amituofo, completely removing the 'self', and only then can he use the strength of a lifetime to save immeasurable and boundless beings.

The scientific research endeavours we previously pursued, while capable of benefiting the local populace, were ultimately not the final solution. This is because all the subjects we sought to benefit are still subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death; their physical bodies will eventually perish, and their spirits will go on to suffer in different spaces. Therefore, everything we did was merely a temporary aid to improve their quality of life or to make certain stages of their lives run more smoothly. It was ultimately transient and could not help them achieve spiritual growth and liberation, as the Buddha helps us. Now, having received Buddhist education, I cannot help but feel deeply moved. We have so many scientists here who have been interviewed, and everyone has pointed to one truth: that the Buddha’s teachings are the highest science, the science of sciences; and this human body of ours is, in fact, the highest technology, the technology of technologies. If I were still in my human body, living in the world as I once was, I certainly would not have been able to believe such a fact. Now, in the Buddha-land, everything unfolding before my eyes is the reality, allowing me to truly realise the principle that the Buddha’s teachings are the highest science. Today, I have deep faith in the Buddha’s teachings, and I believe that I, too, can become a Buddha and one day possess the skills of Practitioner Su. I know that all of this has not come easily. I am also deeply grateful for the Buddhist affinity and Dharma affinity I have had. Now that these have matured, I am fortunate to witness the beauty of the Buddha-land and to see the great compassion and the vows of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to save beings. I wish to emulate them and am willing to dedicate myself to this Buddhist cause. I now finally understand the principles of Body-Mind-Spirit and realise that the human body and the spirit are essentially different. This body is as complex as the universe itself; within it, besides one's own spirit, there exist countless spirit realm beings with whom one has formed affinities—whether of love, hate, or other emotions. The body cannot be mastered by oneself. Everyone comes to this world with different Causal Conditions, which result in different life outcomes. Every bit of this is stored within the Alaya consciousness of our spirits, becoming an eternal memory. Although the physical body will decay, the spirit is neither born nor destroyed. Everything we have experienced—people, events, and scenes—is actually stored in the Alaya