Once upon a time, lord Shiva wanted his wife Parvati to learn that the world was an illusion. Parvati found it difficult to understand that material things such as food could be completely disregarded. She became angry – and poof she disappeared. And suddenly there was no more food. People and animals and nature starved. Lord Shiva became nervous, then upset, then desperate. He begged for his wife to return. And she did – and immediately she began to make food for the world. She taught her husband that as long as we are on this plane of existence, and made of matter, we cannot completely disregard material things.Parvati is also called Annapurna, goddess of nourishment. Up high in the Himalayas there is a mountain called Annapurna. Perhaps it is under this mountain’s watch that Kathmandu valley seems to be brimming with food?  (Kathmandu, Nepal; January 2015)