I’m worn out from the Robert Wright contretemps, so here’s some fun.  A Chinese farmer has created molds that, when placed around growing pears, turn them into baby Buddhas.

Plucky farmer Gao Xianzhang has created 10,000 of the mini marvels this season and he plans to take the fruits of his labour to the UK and Europe.

Britain could soon see the arrival of the pears, which are shaped like mini buddhas.

If the idea catches on, sales of the mini pears could hit the profits of British farmers who are already struggling to fend off sales of cheaper foreign produce in recession-hit Britain.

‘People seem to think they are cute or lucky and will buy them as soon as they’re off the tree,’ Gao explained.

Gao spent six years perfecting the intricate baby-shaped pears, carefully crafting each one which grows inside an individual mould.

Despite their hefty cost of £5 each, locals in his home village of Hexia, in Hebia, northern China, have reportedly been snapping them up.

An alert reader has suggested that, by uniting the scientific and the spiritual, Gao Xianzhang should be nominated for the Templeton Prize.  The creation of Buddha-shaped pears certainly fulfills the Prize’s aim of honoring “a living person who has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery or practical works.”

The deadline for this year’s nominations is October 1.

The French, who apparenty lack all spirituality in favor of carnality, can do only this:

h/t: Otter