Rev. Danny Fisher

Julia Sagebien has a really interesting interview with Shambhala International’s Acharya Mitchell Levy over at Chronicle Radio Dispatches. Dr. Levy, who currently serves as a specialist in Intensive Care Medicine and a Professor of Medicine at Brown University School of Medicine, was Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche‘s personal physician from 1978 until his death in 1987. He says a lot in the interview that will be relevant to Buddhist chaplains and caregivers. And though it has never been a secret (as he well notes), Levy also states the cause of Rinpoche’s death perhaps more clearly than it sometimes is. Though he talks about other aggravating causes and conditions (such as physical exhaustion from being such an incredibly industrious and prolific teacher), he is very direct with the host:

JULIA SAGEBIEN: What did he die of? I mean, obviously, he died on April 4th, 1987, but he had a process of dying. He was ill for probably two years–rather ill. What was he ill with? What happened? What did he die of?

ACHARYA MITCHELL LEVY: He had chronic liver disease related to his alcohol intake over many years.

Chronicles Radio Dispatch is really something special, by the way. It’s well worth following, especially if you’re interested in the history of Tibetan Buddhism in America.

This is a remarkable read.

This via CREDO Action:

Last year, the Senate failed to get the 60 votes necessary to force an up-or-down vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would mandate that women receive equal pay for equal work. With a new session of Congress in place, the House took quick action and passed this legislation on January 9 with a 247-171 vote. Now, the Senate is ready to take action.

With President-elect Obama soon to take office, we now have a real chance to pass this legislation that could do so much for so many American women. There will be a battle in the Senate, and we cannot let a filibuster stop the Senate from restoring equal pay.

[...]

Women across America are counting on the Senate – let the Senate know that you’re watching to make sure they come through. Sign this petition to tell your Senators to support the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This is a crucial step in this year’s battle for equal pay – a battle that, for the first time, we might actually be able to win.

Send a message to your Senator here.

This via ActionAid:

This will be a pivotal year for climate change work. In December, world leaders will gather in Copenhagen, Denmark, to complete a new climate treaty. Meanwhile, the Obama administration and the US Congress will take up climate legislation that must include support for developing countries affected by global warming.

As nations prepare for this historic conference, ActionAid is asking leaders to:


• Provide substantial funding for climate change adaptation
  
• Include binding emissions targets for developed countries
  
• Strengthen multilateral funding mechanisms
  
• Provide a framework for developing clean technology
  
• Ensure that vulnerable groups such as women and indigenous communities have decision making power in the processPlease join ActionAid in the fight against climate change by signing our petition urging President-elect Barack Obama to make the global climate global crisis a top priority.

Sign the petition here.