Welcome to the first post at Bitten by Buddha! I'd like to explain where this idea came from and what the intentions are behind this blog. For those of you familiar with the hip hop triple trouble visionaries known as the Beastie Boys, you'll know that May 4, 2012 is the day the world lost Adam Yauch (a.k.a. MCA) to cancer. The following months were a confusing blur of emotion as I wondered why I was so devastated over the loss of an artist that I never knew. I was soon sucked into cyber-grieving via the Beastie Boys Message Board and Facebook fan pages. There I discovered a world full of other Beastie fans who were just as heartbroken and confused as I was. I began to see a pattern emerge in the blogs and postings; a yearning to make a difference in this world and to live a life in a way that would make MCA proud. I'm not here to write an essay on the ever-evolving and prolific, yet painfully too short, life that MCA created for himself. I would like to talk about a project that was born out of love and support for the man.
An energetic and passionate young woman in Sydney, Australia was inspired to show MCA how much he meant to his fans during his declining health, after watching the Beastie Boys' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14, 2012. Her name is Sarah, and she created PWR2MCA as a sort of awareness campaign/living greeting card/grassroots movement of giving and compassion. Sarah said, "It was Mike [Diamond] and Adam [Horovitz] who inspired the whole thing. That needs to be crystal clear. They both delivered the most beautiful, heartfelt, hilarious speeches; and then Horovitz read Yauch’s [speech]. It wasn’t just that Yauch had composed the most incredible speech of all time. It was the tenderness in Adam’s voice as he read it. The way he glanced down and smiled at Yauch’s parents. The expression on Mike’s face; the beautiful way he was looking down at Adam, willing him to go on. The way they stood together, making him proud. Making us ALL proud."
Sarah reached out to Beastie Boys fans and asked them to write PWR2MCA on their fist, take a picture, and send it to her. Then she asked fans to go out and do SOMETHING: volunteer, donate to a favorite charity, or create something artistic and beautiful that will help make our communities and our world a better place to live. She compiled the photos and stories as a fan love letter to be mailed to the ailing MCA.
And then, quite suddenly and all too soon, he was gone. But Sarah decided not to stop the project. The photos and stories of charitable kindness kept arriving from around the world. The project will now be mailed to Adrock [Horovitz] and Mike D [Diamond] as tribute to their inspiration and to their brother, MCA. Sarah is quite busy keeping up with video tributes as well. Her powerful vignettes are set to music and capture the sense of connectedness that MCA loved to rap about and strove for in his constant search for enlightenment. Sarah embodies that special spirit and is a constant champion and defender of all MCA represented. Many non-fans don’t understand his spiritual journey as a practicing Buddhist, philanthropist, filmmaker, musician (YES – the Beastie Boys were MUSICIANS), activist, family man and friend. Sarah may be considered a mega-fan, but she isn’t all talk. She is out there walking that hip-hop, funky donkey, brass monkey walk. MCA and the Beastie Boys were much more than the stereotyped brats of the mid-80s License to Ill days. They grew into thoughtful, inspiring, devilishly witty and positive men. And Sarah wants to make sure the world knows it.
You can see the PWR2MCA Facebook page here and follow Sarah's thread on the Beastie Boys Message Board. You can also contact Sarah directly for more information about the PWR2MCA project at pwr2mca@gmail.com. My personal contribution to the PWR2MCA project was the creation of a fundraising page through the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, which provides musical instruments to children who may not otherwise have access to them. You can visit my link and donate if you’re interested.
I have wanted to start a blog for some time, but I never quite knew the theme or the concept. I didn’t want to write just for the sake of venting publicly about how much I dislike my job or that I feel like I’m having mid-life crises. But after watching the power of PWR grow and reading about the different ways folks had contributed in honor of MCA’s memory, it made me realize that it could go on forever. And not just necessarily in honor of one particular artist that is a personal favorite of mine. But in honor of anyone who is loved, missed, passed on or making a difference right now. I want to highlight the good deeds of others; the small contributions or random acts of kindness, charitable donations, participation in charity walks or runs, development of a non-profit or event to raise awareness, writing a song, book or poem, creation any kind of art, helping protect the environment, adopting a pet, starting a neighborhood watch program, etc. The list could go on and on.
So, here is my plea to you, dear reader. Go out do SOMETHING. Get your ass off the couch and make a difference in this world. And if you feel like it, send me a photo and an email (BittenbyBuddha@gmail.com) describing what you’ve accomplished, and I’ll post it on my blog. This could help inspire others to do the same. If you have a charity link or website you’d like promoted, let me know. Together we can make a difference. As Adam Yauch so eloquently stated, “I think every person has the ability to effect change . . . Every one of us affects the world constantly through our actions . . . through our every thought, our every word, the way we interact with other people we’re constantly affecting the world.” A bit of Buddha indeed.
Thank you, Sarah, for affecting my world in such a positive way. And thank you, Adam Yauch, for paving the way.
R.I.P. MCA. Peace and love to his parents, Noel and Frances, wife Dechen, daughter Losel, and Beastie Brothers, Adam and Mike.
