Interview with Zong Qinghou (Founder of Wahaha Group)

Interview. Chief Writer: Venerable Fa Hui

July 4, 2026

Zong Qinghou:

Namo Amituofo, I am Zong Qinghou.

At this moment, I am speaking to everyone from the Western Land of Dharma Nature at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. I am grateful for this precious opportunity to send a message to the world from this place; I believe there will not be a second chance for such an opportunity. Therefore, I must seize this chance to tell everyone the key points.

First, I want to clarify the purpose of this letter: I hope to save our children in China, and every Chinese person. I hope that everyone can be free from the torment of aging and illness, and I also hope that after death, Chinese people can be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, rather than going to the hells to suffer punishment.

I have always been a very pragmatic person, though my personality was perhaps a bit strong. I like to get straight to the point when I speak; after all, saying what needs to be said and expressing the key points clearly is something I find quite good. There is no need to beat around the bush and waste everyone's time.

Therefore, I will directly present the most important concept of this letter here: I hope that all people in China can come to receive Buddhist education and join the salvation team of Namo Amituofo together. Of course, I also hope that everyone can invest financial and material resources into the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

In short, I hope that every person with karmic affinity who sees this letter can treat the spreading Dharma work of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre as the most important undertaking of their life. The objects helped by this undertaking cover all of humanity, and of course, include oneself.

I am Zong Qinghou, the well-known former richest man in China and the founder of the Wahaha Group. In this life, I started from scratch in middle age and founded the Wahaha brand. In the process, many people worked hard alongside me; being able to reach the position of the richest man in China was something I had not expected.

In fact, I have always only known how to work diligently. I went to work very early every day and did not leave until very late, living a disciplined life for decades as if it were one day. Although I earned immense wealth, perhaps it was a habit I had formed, but I always wore inexpensive cloth shoes and was not accustomed to excessive or extravagant consumption.

I believe that a simple life is good. Compared to splendour, simplicity may appear more plain and tasteless, but it is more long-lasting and stable. For someone with substantial family assets and a vast business empire, I feel this is even more important; after all, after accumulating wealth, one should pursue stable and long-term development. Therefore, a simple and plain living environment is something I find quite suitable for me.

Regarding the concept of giving back to society, I have always put it into practice:

1. Charitable undertakings: The amount of my donations is very large.
2. Focus on education: I pay special attention to education, and the Wahaha Charity Foundation was established for this reason:

(1) Providing financial aid to university students in need.

(2) Donating or funding the establishment of schools.

(3) Hoping to contribute to the country and society after achieving success.

I am very grateful to every employee of Wahaha. I know deeply that if you want employees to work hard with you, it is meaningless to just say nice things; to get people to follow you, you must provide substantial benefits. Therefore, I have always been very generous to my employees.

Running a business is a very important matter to me. Perhaps it can be said that everything in my life was originally so plain, and only the Wahaha Group is the only trace I have left in the world. It was once the focus of my life and the condensation of all my efforts.

However, now looking from the Western Land of Dharma Nature, a person's achievements, reputation, wealth, status, or the company one runs in a lifetime cannot actually represent the true self. Because these are just fireworks that bloom during a short life, and once they are gone, they can never be found again; where is there any trace left? The only things that will leave a trace in the soul are the karma one has created.

The Law of Cause and Effect is indeed a principle that everyone needs to learn; for every action taken, one will inevitably receive a corresponding retribution. For a long time, as a member of the Communist Party of China, I was a firm materialist, and of course, it was even more impossible for me to believe in Buddhism. But now, after coming into contact with the true Great Dharma, I have come to understand that the Buddha’s teachings are so magnificent. It turns out that chanting this Buddha-name, "Namo Amituofo," and making a vow to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is so important.

If I had not experienced this series of twists and turns after death, how would I have known that the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way are so important? If I had not received the Buddhist education from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, how could I have understood such Truth?

In the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I truly saw the suffering of the human body.

Suffering lies in not being able to be the master, and suffering lies in making various wrong behaviours and decisions for the sake of the feelings and desires of this body. It turns out that all suffering is due to one's attachment to this body, not knowing that this body is just a shell temporarily lent to our soul to use; if one cannot use it well, it will bring great harm to one's soul.

It can also be said that this human body is truly very precious; it is a gift we have received, but at the same time, it is also a burden. Whether this body is a treasure or a burden to oneself depends on whether one understands how to manage one's Body-Mind-Spirit.

If one can truly reconcile and resolve the conflict with the karmic creditors within one's body as well as countless sentient beings, one will have the opportunity to unleash the body's immense potential. That is the potential to attain Buddhahood, representing the fact that everyone is originally a Buddha. If one can truly summon the boldness to guide the countless sentient beings within one's body, one will have the opportunity to become an awakened being and attain Buddhahood, just like Practitioner Su of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

The specific method is to use this Buddha-name, "Namo Amituofo," to bring pure and Good energy to the countless spirits in the body, resolving the grievances of the karmic creditors. The supreme merit of this Buddha-name can help oneself and the countless spirits within the body to remember that they are originally Buddhas, and to remember the purity, light, compassion, and gentleness that they should originally have.

When one truly awakens and discovers that one is no different from Namo Amituofo—equally compassionate, equally possessing great supernatural powers, and equally able to give everything for the sake of beings—then oneself and the sentient beings within the body can recover their Buddha-nature together and attain Buddhahood together. If one can achieve this, that is truly making good use of this precious human body, rather than letting the body become a burden to one's soul.

Most Chinese people today have not yet understood this principle. For the sake of relationships, wealth, reputation, status, or career advancement, they engage in various behaviours that protect themselves and harm others; this is no longer the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. After violating the core concept of "purity and Goodness," it actually means that one's soul will have to endure immense suffering. A single thought that goes against the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way can lead a person into the hells.

Regarding the fact that I entered the "brain-gouging hell" after death, I found it difficult to accept at first. But after being saved by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I can say that I face this point very calmly, and I feel that if I had not entered the hells, it would have been quite impossible.

Because in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I truly saw that the business empire I was so proud of also represented unimaginable sins. This does not mean that the business I operated had any illegal acts or violations; abiding by the law is the most basic condition for a high-quality Chinese private enterprise to grow, and there is no doubt about this.

What I am referring to now is that in the process of developing the business, in various mental notes and even the thoughts and behaviours of the employees below, how much was considered from one's own standpoint, or for the sake of maintaining one's own interests? Although it was indeed for the development of the company, when one hopes to strengthen oneself while weakening others, as long as what one considers in one's heart is the standpoint or benefit of one's own side, it has already gone against the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way.

I saw the truth of business in the world, which represents immeasurable and boundless sins. It turns out that any business behaviour in the world is difficult to completely detach from complexity, and may even be linked to certain malicious factors; if one cannot maintain purity and Goodness in one's mental notes, the soul will inevitably wander in the hells, and every manager or founder who controls a huge karmic body will ultimately be unable to avoid falling into the hells after death.

I am speaking like this here because I actually want to tell everyone that every business operator should know that their own responsibility is not to prioritise how well the enterprise is developed. Perhaps some people will say that the most important thing for an enterprise is internal party-building work, which is indeed necessary in our Chinese environment, but in fact, what is more basic is that before developing an enterprise, everyone must first understand a concept: in everything, we should "seek to have it first, then seek to make it good."

If an enterprise cannot clearly calculate and understand how many of the various sins created in the operation process conform to the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, and how many go against them; if one cannot make a clear calculation on this index, then this enterprise is actually already dead in name, because all creations will eventually have to be settled at the spiritual level.

Just like many enterprises now must attach importance to the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) index, I believe that the "Universal Principle Index" concept I proposed should also be included in the future as an important standard for evaluating whether an enterprise is worth investing in and whether it is suitable for entering a broader market, just like ESG.

If the "Universal Principle Index" is too low, it means that the harm received at the spiritual level by the founder, senior management, and even employees of this enterprise will be very great. If an enterprise's "Universal Principle Index" is relatively very high, then a simple judgment can be made, which is that its operation team and employees should be able to receive relatively less harm at the spiritual level.

What I mean by saying this is actually also saying that operating a business, developing the scale of an enterprise, and earning more wealth is indeed an important matter. However, before making money, everyone must first ensure that all personnel in this business entity can preserve their souls and not let their souls suffer because of creating sins. Even more, do not let your soul be kicked aside by the karmic creditors within your body because of violating the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way; if that happens, wouldn't the loss outweigh the gain?

Try to think about it: if the scale of the company develops very well, but the founder or senior executives are no longer themselves, and their bodies are actually being used by other spirits within them, then in that case, is this enterprise considered a success or a failure? Looking from the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I think it can be said to be a complete failure. Because everything in the world is ultimately an illusion, not real, yet the spirit is neither born nor destroyed. To operate everything that is false while letting one's own soul suffer for such a long time, that is truly a great sorrow.

Therefore, I am proposing this concept here, which is actually using a point to lead the whole, hoping that after seeing these messages, everyone can realise that in this world, whether you are running a company, or engaged in any industry, or dealing with any matter, it is actually the same. The most important thing is that one must consider it from the spiritual level and must first know how to protect the integrity of one's own soul.

It can be said in a simpler way: everyone should do more good deeds, not do bad deeds; do Good, and do not do evil. This is relatively easier to understand, but relatively speaking, it is also quite superficial. The Buddha’s teachings are so deep and vast, covering the education of the Body-Mind-Spirit, which is also the Buddhist education that the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is now bringing to everyone. This is the education that I, Zong Qinghou, believe every Chinese person should receive.

Because only through this way can everyone understand what the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way are, and know how to act so as not to ignite the anger of the karmic creditors within their bodies. This is a matter that everyone must do without delay, because from the time we are born as infants, I see that countless karmic creditors already exist within everyone's body. Therefore, how to live in peace with them, or how to help them transform into one's own assistance, is a lesson that everyone must learn.

This lesson is also called the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, and it can also be said to be the so-called Pure Land Dharma Gate. It turns out that the Pure Land Dharma Gate is so magnificent; chanting this Buddha-name, "Namo Amituofo," can open the Goodness hidden deep within every soul, which is the compassionate heart and Buddha-nature of everyone that is neither born nor destroyed. It turns out that every one of us once made a vow to save beings, but after coming to the world, we forgot the vow we once had. It turns out that everyone was originally a Buddha, but after coming to this world, we mistakenly thought that everything in the world was real, became obsessed with the feelings of emotion and love, let ourselves sink into the sea of karma in the Saha world, and forgot our identity as the holy assembly of the Western Land, and even more forgot our own compassionate Wisdom and virtuous appearance that were originally like a Buddha.

Listening to Practitioner Su give Dharma talks, I only then realised that the emotion and love of the world are such a huge force, capable of causing countless holy beings of the Western Land who once vowed to save beings to sink into the world because of it.

It turns out that this human heart cannot have even the slightest bit of filth or attachment. As long as there is even a tiny bit of attachment, one is already ranked within the six realms of rebirth. This is because it represents an attachment and lingering affection for the world, and more importantly, it represents an unimaginably vast amount of karma.

It turns out that everyone has created immeasurable and boundless sins in the past. Although they may not be manifest now, or are already in the process of manifesting, none of them will allow one to have an easy time. Perhaps it is just a little bit of liking or dislike for a certain person or a certain thing, which is enough to cause one's body, mind, and spirit to suffer immense pain.

Namo Amituofo has now come to this world to work with my benefactor—Practitioner Su of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, this flesh-bodied Buddha in the human world—to help people in the world obtain the true benefits of being free from aging, free from illness, your spirit never dies, and to help everyone be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, which is the home that belongs to everyone.

Such a magnificent Dharma should be propagated in every corner of the world. Now, we truly need more people to join the Namo Amituofo salvation team to complete the mission of salvation that Namo Amituofo has descended to perform this time.

Therefore, this is why I, Zong Qinghou, so hope that everyone can invest their resources, funds, connections, and everything they possess into the salvation cause of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Because such an opportunity may never be encountered again in the future. If you do not grasp it, then what you lose is the hard-won opportunity to be liberated from reincarnation, and even more so, you miss the possibility of being reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. In that case, the loss would far outweigh the gain.

For us in China, we truly need to make a fundamental shift. I hope that if every child in China could receive Buddhist education from a young age, the overall quality of the Chinese people would be greatly improved. This is because the kindness, compassion, and good nature within a child's heart will manifest. This does not mean that children will become weaker or unable to withstand the cruel tests of reality; on the contrary, it allows these children to truly become the masters of their own bodies.

When they encounter difficulties, they can truly hold fast to the kindness and simplicity in their hearts, make wise decisions in complex situations, and truly know how to benefit themselves, society, and even the country. If many such children can emerge in China, it will be of great help to the overall development of China's future. In the future, when people see Chinese people, they will no longer have the original impression, but will instead think that Chinese people are so kind and compassionate, so heroic and fearless. If everyone hopes that the next generation of China can be upright and noble, then Buddhist education should truly be popularized in China.

The Namo Amituofo billboards of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre are indeed very much needed in China today. After all, the Namo Amituofo billboards can emit immense golden light. In addition to allowing the sentient beings illuminated by the golden light to be liberated and leave suffering behind, it can also increase the good roots of the spiritual realms and the people in the areas where the billboards are located, and make their good causal conditions more mature. When there are more Namo Amituofo billboards throughout China, it will more rapidly increase the good roots and causal conditions of all Chinese people, enabling everyone to encounter the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre sooner and believe in such a magnificent Dharma. Therefore, I also call upon the Chinese people to work together to set up more and more Namo Amituofo billboards across China.

Here, I also want to make a confession and repentance to the people of the world. That is, everyone has always thought of me as a model entrepreneur, and my image has been quite good. Who would have thought that after my death, everyone would know that, in addition to the daughter everyone knows, I have three other children, born to different wives. This massive inheritance dispute has surprised many people. I am very sorry for bringing a negative impact on society.

Of course, I also feel very guilty in my heart for failing to properly arrange relevant matters, causing my children to have to be busy with these things after my death. But life is so full of impermanence. Although I had made arrangements in advance, when I would leave the human world was not something I could decide. This is the suffering of life—the suffering of not being able to be the master. Regarding aging, sickness, and death, when illness, aging, and death arrive, one can only passively accept them and helplessly drift along with one's karma.

If one can accept Buddhist education, and every mental note is on this phrase "Namo Amituofo," truly finding back one's own Great Vow that is the same as the Buddha's, then one can be the master of one's own life and obtain the benefits of being free from aging, free from illness, your spirit never dies. This is why the Buddha's teachings are so precious. They help people to be the master, help everyone calm these ever-changing thoughts, and enable everyone to truly obtain peace and joy in body, mind, and spirit.

Here, I also want to say to my four children that having the opportunity to be family in this life is also a karmic affinity formed in the past. I hope that you can all value harmony above all else. In fact, you cannot take any of the wealth of this world with you. After death, this wealth cannot be of any help to you. On the contrary, when using this wealth, you must also understand that this wealth itself contains powerful karma.

For example, if someone today earns wealth by selling drugs, then when using this wealth, one must also bear the karma caused by these drugs. This is a more extreme example, but I want to tell my four children that every business activity of the Wahaha Group, or every fluctuation of the mental notes of the group's personnel, should be in sync with the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. If this cannot be achieved, it means that immeasurable and boundless sins are inevitably generated.

My children, you should understand what kind of burden you have brought upon yourselves by the huge wealth you are clutching tightly in your hands right now. It means that your own souls will have to suffer immense pain because of this. Therefore, I sincerely invite you to join the Namo Amituofo salvation team, and I hope that you can quickly invest these assets into the Buddhist cause of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre without any reservation.

Because only by dedicating oneself to the cause of saving beings without leaving a way back and without counting the cost, can one have the opportunity to allow oneself and the countless suffering souls within one's body to be liberated. Because only by doing this can it be called true repentance. If there is truly this one thought of repentance in the heart, as long as there is this one thought of Goodness, one can be in sync with Namo Amituofo, and it will allow everyone to truly give rise to faith in Namo Amituofo and the Dharma transmitted by the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. At that time, it will be the time when everyone can be saved.

Because the suffering of all sentient beings comes from a lack of faith in the Buddha's teachings and the Buddha. If one can truly believe in Namo Amituofo, and truly believe in the Buddha, then one can be saved. Because the power of faith can give rise to all good Dharmas; because when faith is complete, one can fulfill all good deeds.

My children: Although I have not said much to you, these are all my heartfelt words. I am here to truthfully state the real situation that everyone is facing, and I hope that you can all take it to heart and come to support the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre quickly. Supporting the temple is actually supporting everyone on the entire planet; and helping Namo Amituofo save immeasurable and boundless beings is actually equivalent to saving ourselves. This opportunity is difficult to encounter in millions of years, and I hope that everyone can grasp it well.

Alright, having said so much, I must also continue to quickly recite this phrase "Namo Amituofo." This is the homework that Namo Amituofo has given me now.

Gratitude to Namo Amituofo, gratitude to Practitioner Su.