The name “Beastie Boys” resonates with every rebellious youth from the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s; and will continue to do so into the future. Their simple yet pioneering style of hip-hop music set the precedence for today’s artists and helped to contribute to the soundtrack of many of our lives. But, as many great accomplishments of true selflessness tend to go unnoticed, I would like to honor Adam Yauch for his other contributions to humanity and life.
Fighting for your right to party wasn’t the only cause that Adam propagated. Fighting for the right to peace and life struck an even deeper chord with the lyricist. Although the demeanor of his words incited the urge to drink Brass Monkey and party all night, the deeper recesses of his heart bled for human rights concerns; namely the injustice of the treatment of the Tibetans after their hostile occupancy by China.
Adam was not an armchair activist; as he had traveled to Nepal and actively pursued ways to assist the simple, yet enlightened citizens of Tibet in their desperate plight to regain freedom. His past is checkered with meeting with various activists and leaders to help bring attention to this horrible situation, and help fund campaigns to assist in the goal of regaining independence for the Tibetans. He co-founded the Milarepa Fund to distribute royalties to Tibetan monks that were sampled on the Beastie Boys’ 1994 album “Ill Communication“.
He also organized the Tibetan Freedom Concert which was held in North America, Europe and Asia from 1996 til 2001, raising vast amounts of money to assist in the cause of peaceful freedom of Tibetans. His vision was shared equally by the rest of the group, and was also supported by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Bjork, Rage Against the Machine and more.
Adam Yauch always carried on his drive to help free Tibet, but also took interest in equality and freedom everywhere. Even when battling with his health, he went out to support and march with Occupy protestors for the cause of bringing the power back to the people of America.
Adam Yauch was an amazing soul who lived for others more than himself. His motivation in life was to help the world heal, love, live and prosper. As I have been blessed with the opportunity to sit before the Dalai Lama, learn from Tibetan monks as well as share the universal passion for healing the world (through sharing my touch and experiences); I can relate to Adam’s heart and feel his love for the world around us in a very personal manner. To me, there’s no greater qualities in a person, and he sits amongst the upper echelon of those who fight for world peace and equality. He was a true hero, crusader, and rebel with a cause.
Rest in peace, dear Brother.
Om mani padme hum
saffronandcedarwellness 