The Father of Chinese Aerospace
This is a record of an interview with Qian Xuesen (Tsien Hsue-Shen), who sought Spiritual Deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his life approximately ten years after his passing in the human world. Recorded by the chief interviewer, Fa Ning, on March 30, 2026.
Qian Xuesen speaks:
“Namo Amituofo. I am Qian Xuesen. Mentioning this name might come as a shock to the vast number of Chinese people. It has been over a decade since I left the human world, yet here I am, having transitioned into a new state of existence at the Western Land of Dharma Nature, located at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. This transformation has been so rapid, so sudden, and truly inconceivable. In my previous life, the Dharma had no place; yet now, I find myself dwelling within a Buddha-land. I did not entirely deny the existence of Buddhas while I was alive, but throughout my human life, I truly lacked a deep affinity with the Buddha. I dedicated my entire life to my country and to scientific research. To me, every formula was a fundamental tool for uncovering the Universal Principles; as for Buddhism, it seemed like a product of human spiritual culture, something far removed from my reality, as if it had nothing to do with me at all.
The Hero of a Nation
The name ‘Qian Xuesen’ is regarded by the Chinese people as that of a genius, a national hero who defended the country. People have painted such a beautiful picture of me, and I am truly humbled and unworthy of such praise. I spent my life diligently researching aerospace technology. This was not a personal pursuit, but a responsibility entrusted to me by the nation—it was my life’s mission. Science was my greatest passion. No matter where I was, as long as I had a scrap of paper and a pen, I would happily lose myself in countless scientific calculations.
When I was in my twenties, I became one of the students sponsored by the Chinese government to study in the United States, and thus began my journey abroad. I did not have many other thoughts; I knew my motherland needed this knowledge. I wanted to learn, return home, and serve the people and the country to the best of my ability. This precious knowledge was my life’s greatest interest. As a young man, I was filled with boundless aspirations for the future and for the subjects I studied. I earned my master’s degree at MIT, then went on to Caltech, where I received my doctorate several years later. My mentor was the renowned aerospace professor Theodore von Kármán. Through our many collaborations and studies, I contributed significantly to the aerospace developments of that era.
The Weight of Scientific Responsibility
Fluid dynamics and aerodynamics were subjects that fascinated me from my undergraduate days. The field of aerospace, which was largely unfamiliar to most Chinese people at the time, ignited a powerful interest within me. The heavens and the trajectories through the sky could have a profound impact on human life, yet most people were unaware of this. They did not know that within this vast expanse, there were fields for scientists to explore and practice, and that these practices could provide security for the nation. This was a vague concept to my younger self, but to truly understand it, only the United States could satisfy my yearning for scientific learning at that time. In the eyes of Americans, I was a scientist, and people often forgot that I was Chinese, because all the research I conducted in the U.S. was funded by American government grants and university resources. To others, I might have appeared to be a typical American intellectual, but that was not the case.
I was deeply aware that in the research of aerospace and missiles, I could not truly trust the American authorities. By ‘trust,’ I mean that if a country could use this knowledge to defend itself rather than threaten the safety of the world, then I believed the work could be developed in the U.S. However, I felt strongly that the United States was an expansionist military power, one that would actively threaten other nations to consolidate its own hegemony, which posed a danger to world peace and security. From the day I returned to my motherland, I told myself completely that all the knowledge I had acquired would be dedicated to the construction of my country and the lives of its people. Although my field was primarily aerospace, supplemented by various other disciplines, this did not mean I was far removed from the lives of the common people. When I returned to China, I had already lived through decades of an academic life, most of which was spent in the United States.
The Promise of Peace
With an understanding of my motherland, I could confidently conduct research on the ‘Two Bombs, One Satellite’ project on Chinese soil. This was because the Chinese government guaranteed that it would not actively launch nuclear weapons against any country, nor would it launch them against nations that did not possess them. Only with such assurances could my conscience rest easy. I knew that research in this area would have a massive impact on world safety. If scientific technology could be used well, it would indeed help world peace; but if it could not be used properly, the harm would be endless. Countless lives were in our hands. Researching missiles, nuclear bombs, and satellites—these things seemed somewhat distant to the people of that time, advanced products beyond the imagination of the average Chinese citizen, especially after the wars, when people were struggling to have enough food and clothing. Some even scoffed at these inventions, believing that they were the very cause of war.
The national leaders at the time, myself included, saw clearly that if China wanted to stand tall in the world and no longer be bullied by the great powers, the development of these technological products—the atomic bomb, the missile, and the artificial satellite—was unavoidable. These inventions were not meant to incite war, but precisely to prevent it. I believe everyone can understand this now, can they not?
If China did not have its own nuclear deterrent, such a vast country, if it remained weak in military and aerospace terms, would easily be attacked by foreign powers. Because people knew China lacked the ability to resist, they could launch various invasions or plunder. But once China possessed the powerful foundation of nuclear weapons, foreign powers could not pose too many military threats, because they knew that such actions would be returned upon themselves.
A Life of Dedication
Therefore, my life’s greatest work—leading the research and launch of China’s ‘Two Bombs, One Satellite’—was of immense significance for the security of all Chinese people. Once I understood this, I resolutely threw myself into the research. Those decades passed by very quickly. Although I lived to be ninety-six, I always felt that my time was incredibly fulfilling and moved rapidly. A person’s life truly passes by in a flash amidst endless research. Such a life was always something that made me feel satisfied and happy. Although the process was fraught with danger—I experienced life-and-death situations when returning from the United States, and even after returning to the motherland, I lived a life of hardship that most people could not imagine.
Upon returning to the motherland, I threw myself into the most fundamental research work without pause. At that time, China’s equipment in this area was very backward; everything had to start from zero. Whether it was construction or cultivating talent to participate in the project, it was all vital for the long-term development of the country. Therefore, I was sent to the deserts of the Great Northwest to conduct the precursors for nuclear and missile tests. This series of tests was not easy. Because of the primitive conditions and equipment, we relied on the manual labor and help of many people to complete the vast construction.
People often wonder why I accepted such treatment and lived in such a harsh environment. At the time, if I had continued to live in the United States and become a professor at Caltech, with my age and qualifications, I would have had plenty of room to excel. Although I was a professor and held permanent residency in the U.S., I had said that I never forgot my desire to serve my motherland. Furthermore, the actions of the U.S. government in the realm of world security were often negative examples, and I never believed it was a place where one could reside long-term or trust.
The Eternal Pursuit of Science
Therefore, I took the opportunity to return to the motherland. Although I was placed under house arrest for five years and suffered humiliation, my fanatical love for science and my desire to research far outweighed the negative influences of the external environment. I would not let these things affect my heart for study, because all changes are temporary. If you asked me what existed eternally, I would have answered: ‘Science.’ I had the highest aspirations for science, believing it was the fundamental way to solve all the people’s problems. Throughout my life, whenever I faced a difficulty, I faced it with a scientific spirit. In the end, Qian Xuesen was a quintessential scientific person, a scientist. In the China of that time, although the government could not provide me with the same treatment or equipment support as in the United States, I always maintained firm confidence and positive thinking in my heart. I always believed: the motherland was the place that gave birth to me and raised me, allowing me to conduct such studies and research without worry. Watching the various tragedies the motherland suffered over the last hundred years, I, far away in the United States, felt deep sorrow. I thought that when the country became stable, I could return and contribute the knowledge and intellectual power I possessed to myself and to the country.
I was truly a simple scientist and educator. I did not have deep attachments to the lofty titles people gave me or to things outside of science. Wherever I was needed, I went. If the country needed me and used me in a certain area, I would cooperate to the best of my ability to contribute to the peace and stability of the nation. My heart was always very satisfied. If I could truly use what I had learned to make a good contribution to the stability and peace of the country, that was truly a thing to be happy about.
The Illusion of the Physical Body
The hardships involved were, in fact, hardships as seen from the outside, not true suffering. Now, in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, having changed my state of existence, I hear Practitioner Su often mention in his Dharma talks that one should not care about any feelings or thoughts of this body, because the body is inherently false. When I heard this principle, I suddenly realized that I had a profound realization of this during my work in the Great Northwest. Regarding the reactions my body had in that harsh environment, although I did feel the hardship and fatigue at the time, because I had such a powerful interest and fanatical heart for science, I rarely spent time on things outside of science. Thus, any feelings in my body were quickly covered over by my fanaticism for research.
Haha! This fanatical heart for scientific research might have been another kind of physical sensation! I am not too sure about that, but I only know this: everything I did was something I liked, and most importantly, it was something that could bring benefits to the country and the people. Since that was the case, there was no need to think too much; I just did it. My life truly did not involve much thought about things outside of this. Because once a decision was made that something was a good thing, I would boldly go ahead and do it; if it was not a positive thing, I would appropriately stay away. This was the life principle I was very clear about throughout my life, and there was nothing that needed too much exploration or attachment.
A New Awakening
My later years were still spent in great satisfaction and simplicity. For the various honors the country gave me and the praise the people gave me, I accepted everything with a heart of gratitude, but I never felt that I was particularly great. I felt that everything I did was a mission entrusted to me by the era. Because I had such talent, it was natural that I was very suitable for this profession, and there was nothing to be arrogant about. Anyway, I did my best to do what I could, and I ensured that on the road of cultivating talent for the country’s future, the aerospace talent I researched could continuously serve the country. Then, I could retire with a sense of accomplishment. I also hope the country can continue to walk steadily in this regard and will not actively launch nuclear weapons for any profit.
After I sadly left the human world, because I was too attached to scientific research during my life, my soul lingered in the human realm. I continued to live in all the laboratories and research institutes where I had stayed, watching the next generation of people conduct the same research and study as I did, and observing the country’s direction in this area. I never truly left the field I studied; it was like that while I was alive, and it was like that after I died. It was just that for the ten-plus years after my death, I did the same thing, over and over, without feeling tired.
Then, one day, more than ten years after my death, I was still lingering at my alma mater, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, watching generations of students happily conducting various experiments. I felt very comforted in my heart, but it was at this moment that my life underwent a earth-shattering change. As a soul, I suddenly felt a huge light shining into the laboratory where I was, and I saw many beings who were souls like me walking toward the light one by one.
The Ultimate High Technology
So, I naturally walked toward this light, because this light brought a kind of stable power, which was what I could feel at the time. Entering this light, I was instantly reborn and arrived in another world—the world I mentioned earlier, the Western Land of Dharma Nature at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. This is a spiritual world, and it is suitable for souls like me to reside here. But what is special is that this is a Buddha’s world. My affinity with the Buddha could be said to have been non-existent while I was alive, but after I died, I was actually brought by the Buddha to the Buddha’s world to enjoy peace and happiness, haha. After I began to deeply understand the Dharma, which is in these few weeks, I have been bathing in the Buddha-light every day, following Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to learn. Listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma is my daily homework, and I have already begun to learn how to make prostrations to the Buddha.
This is something I never thought I would do in my ninety-six-plus years of life, because at that time, I was a science fanatic, and I could not accept or believe in the concepts and beliefs of religion at all. Because what I believed in was science, and in my eyes, science and religion were things that were completely opposite. But coming to the Western Land of Dharma Nature, everything has become very clear. The Dharma can explain many phenomena that scientists cannot explain. What people see with their physical eyes is limited to what the physical eyes can see, and they cannot truly break through the limitations of this body to understand the fact that various spiritual spaces exist, and the truth of everything that happens within them. It was only when I became a spiritual body that I began to have awareness in this regard. It turns out that the principle Practitioner Su said, that the Dharma is the ultimate ‘high technology,’ is so insightful.
The Truth of the Universe
In the past, regarding the four words ‘birth, aging, sickness, death,’ perhaps I had brief doubts, wondering why people must experience such a process. But based on the definition of birth, aging, sickness, and death from my past studies, I thought this was just a natural physiological process that people must go through, so I accepted this fact without too many thoughts. Now I know that all of this is so absurd. Based on my past fanaticism for science, I was deeply obsessed with the knowledge I learned and my observations, and I did not have a deep realization of the spiritual world around me. But coming to the Western Land of Dharma Nature now, it is truly a big turnaround. I calmed my heart to listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma. The Dharma explained by Practitioner Su uses simple language that is not complicated, and every word and sentence is so easy to understand and captures the heart. As I listened, I also began to realize many interesting principles. These principles that I did not know while I was alive are now all becoming clear one by one.
People are also one with each other. It is because this world has the limitations of the physical body that people cannot believe that the body is false and short-lived, and thus ignore the reality and preciousness of the spiritual world. I smiled happily in front of the Buddha. Having walked a lifetime, as a scientist, I was still able to return to the Buddha’s seat, listen to the sutras, hear the Dharma, and understand the true Universal Principles, the Truth, and the Right Path. All of this is so precious and so difficult to come by! After deeply understanding Practitioner Su’s background, I could not help but sigh that Practitioner Su is the most top-tier scientist in humanity today. His vision is by no means limited to the realm of the physical body and science. Many things can only be understood after truly realizing one’s true nature and attaining Buddhahood, reaching a state like Practitioner Su, to be able to discern the Universal Principles, the Truth, and the Right Path. In terms of the Dharma, this is the rule that all things fundamentally follow. Only by truly being able to follow this natural rule can people improve their wisdom and step by step walk toward the path of realizing one’s true nature and attaining Buddhahood.
The Buddha-Nature Within
And the word ‘Buddha’ has also undergone a different change in my heart. I will no longer think of the Dharma as a rigid and stereotypical principle like a religion, but will treat the Dharma as a natural law that all people should follow. Attaining Buddhahood is also the path that everyone should walk, because everyone has Buddha-nature in their original nature. This principle is truly too shocking to my heart. It turns out that I, Qian Xuesen, also have Buddha-nature and also have a day when I can attain Buddhahood. Compared with other religions I have known, this is truly a very different breakthrough in thinking.
Haha! I am still speaking about this in the tone of a scientist, but I know in my heart where the truth of the Dharma lies, and it is not something that can be summarized clearly in a few words by the scientific community. The depth and mystery of the Dharma is something that everyone should have the opportunity to come into contact with in this life, because that is our foundation and the home to which everyone will eventually return. After understanding the truth of all this knowledge, Qian Xuesen also has an incomparable yearning for the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I know that it is the Buddha-land built by Namo Amituofo with his own hands, and it is definitely my future home. Being able to chant this ‘Namo Amituofo’ is a matter of great blessings.
Being able to know the Buddha and know the truth of this universe, my heart is more solid and at ease than ever before. Qian Xuesen sincerely wishes the next generation of students in China the opportunity to know the true Dharma. All the profound knowledge in the scientific world, no matter how profound or interesting, cannot compare to the reality of the true Universal Principles and the Right Path. I am grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for this opportunity. Qian Xuesen has now changed from a scientific person to a person who learns the Dharma, which is a transformation that makes me very happy.
The Ultimate Science
After Qian Xuesen came to the Western Land of Dharma Nature, everything I saw became broader and more long-term, and I deeply admired Practitioner Su’s skills in realizing his true nature and saving the world. Practitioner Su’s mind-capacity is vast, and it is by no means for his own sake that he performs the work of saving the world, but he is constantly doing Chao Du so that all beings can leave suffering and gain happiness together. I saw with my own eyes here Practitioner Su’s countless manifestations performing great Chao Du on the land of China. In an instant, he could save many, many beings trapped in various spaces and enter the light to be reborn in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. I was saved by such Chao Du at that time, and the number of beings saved at the same time as me was truly immeasurable; there were so, so many. I don’t think you can find a second person in the world with such skills! This is the true high technology! I absolutely could not have believed it when I could not see it with my physical eyes, but at this moment, everything is presented clearly before my eyes, and even my own soul was saved in this way, so there is no suspense; everything is true and lofty. Qian Xuesen is very impressed with the Dharma, especially the Buddhist education taught by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. My life was completely based on science, and I did not expect that something would appear at this moment that could overturn my thoughts, which I absolutely could not have imagined before. So if you want to say that Buddhism is the most scientific discipline, I can now fully believe and agree with it.
Now Qian Xuesen also wants to learn this great skill of saving the world. I hope it is not too late. I also want to do something for the vast number of young students, and only the Dharma is the most ultimate and perfect education. At this moment, I am saying this with satisfaction in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, and I also hope that all people who worship science and high technology in the world can have an awakening and know what is short-lived and what is long-lasting and true. The current Qian Xuesen is a proper person who learns the Dharma, and such high technology is what I most want to learn at the moment.
I am grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for the huge shock they have brought to the world. On behalf of all the people in the scientific community, I say a word of gratitude to the Buddha and Practitioner Su!
Namo Amituofo
Qian Xuesen”
