Kid Presentable
04-06-2014, 06:10 AM
So a while back people used to talk about 'doing the Yauch' (in the miramanee era, 05 or 06 I think). It was this whole thing which focussed on the fact that of the three, MCA was always the most laid back in terms of stage presence. Not just laid back, but I guess it sorta seemed to some that he was disengaged, disinterested and such.
I had always wondered sometimes, I admit, but inevitably gave the benefit of the doubt and figured it was just his style. Since his passing, it's been interesting to go back through his evolution and figure out a bit more about the stuff which helped him live his life.
Things like the meditation emails back in 2010 and stuff, they all pointed to a man who was well into a zen journey. The story about him not even being remotely riled by Woody Harrelson forgetting to thank Oscilloscope in an award acceptance speech, that really rang out to me at the time of his passing.
It's harder now than ever for me to be a fan of this group and not consider the life lessons taught by their individual and collective evolutions. So naturally, as someone who found resonance in the more socially aware messages on Ill Communication (even as a child), it was inevitable that I would explore some of this shit myself.
In particular, the grace with which MCA handled his declining health sort of sealed the deal for me to explore more deeply once I felt ready (this article is not for the faint hearted but is a very interesting look (http://www.mindingthebedside.com/2012/05/how-to-meditate-how-to-die-part-2-even-famous-rapper-buddhists-die/) at the nature of death and meditation, however poorly worded the title!)
So about 10 weeks ago, I joined a practical philosophy class which teaches mindfulness. Mindfulness in this sense is a practical term for meditation, which stops way short of transcendentalism and instead offers solutions for living a just, happy and present life. You might have seen a white girl on the cover of a recent issue of Time magazine which explored the 'mindfulness revolution'.
Being a fan of Beastie Boys, I must admit that attending these sessions is like cheating or having read the answers to the test ahead of time. Second by second and minute by minute, life really is like lotto insofar as one has to be in it ('it' being the moment) to win it. One must look within and try to admire. There truly is an interconnectedness which results from our diversity unified. Keep the mind present, right here and right now. No worries, no fears, and without any doubts. There's more - way more - but you likely get the point and it's horrible to just write out lyrics like that.
Anyway what I'm getting at is that there is a concept of self-definition which requires that to define oneself, or what oneself is, we must first understand what we are not. It works with negative situations, such as identifying that one is not the anger, not the fear, not stupid. Etc etc. It is in fact the mind which is telling us that we are these things.
From a contrasting point of view, though, it's also quite useful in positive or enjoyable situations because it can keep one level, prevent haughtiness and promote humility. Dwelling on our achievements (or anything, for that matter) encourages captured thinking which takes us away from the moment. More so, defining oneself by achievements may not be the best way to live if it means we might think of ourselves as better than others.
So now, I look back at live footage of anything post CYH era, and sort of see a guy who is not getting swallowed up in the adulation, but instead is working hard to stay present. Getting to the heart of the matter (whoops another one). Which doesn't imply Mike and Adam were getting swolled heads from cheering crowds, at all, but more that perhaps MCA just had to work harder at it.
Anyway, I had a point when I started the thread but I've clearly lost it. Mindfulness, as a very superficial introduction to connecting with one's self, has been immeasurably useful to me. It's something I wouldn't have entertained exploring without the group, and it's sorta shed a new light on my interpretation of the band dynamic too. Not least of all, it's led to a more stress-free life, based on a better understanding of happiness.
Seems appropriate to link this one (http://www.projecthappiness.org/2012/04/01/adam-yauch/) up for it's own sake, now. An oldie but a goodie, made all the more profound by the fact that it finally got its OK for release, by the man himself I presume, so near the end.
I had always wondered sometimes, I admit, but inevitably gave the benefit of the doubt and figured it was just his style. Since his passing, it's been interesting to go back through his evolution and figure out a bit more about the stuff which helped him live his life.
Things like the meditation emails back in 2010 and stuff, they all pointed to a man who was well into a zen journey. The story about him not even being remotely riled by Woody Harrelson forgetting to thank Oscilloscope in an award acceptance speech, that really rang out to me at the time of his passing.
It's harder now than ever for me to be a fan of this group and not consider the life lessons taught by their individual and collective evolutions. So naturally, as someone who found resonance in the more socially aware messages on Ill Communication (even as a child), it was inevitable that I would explore some of this shit myself.
In particular, the grace with which MCA handled his declining health sort of sealed the deal for me to explore more deeply once I felt ready (this article is not for the faint hearted but is a very interesting look (http://www.mindingthebedside.com/2012/05/how-to-meditate-how-to-die-part-2-even-famous-rapper-buddhists-die/) at the nature of death and meditation, however poorly worded the title!)
So about 10 weeks ago, I joined a practical philosophy class which teaches mindfulness. Mindfulness in this sense is a practical term for meditation, which stops way short of transcendentalism and instead offers solutions for living a just, happy and present life. You might have seen a white girl on the cover of a recent issue of Time magazine which explored the 'mindfulness revolution'.
Being a fan of Beastie Boys, I must admit that attending these sessions is like cheating or having read the answers to the test ahead of time. Second by second and minute by minute, life really is like lotto insofar as one has to be in it ('it' being the moment) to win it. One must look within and try to admire. There truly is an interconnectedness which results from our diversity unified. Keep the mind present, right here and right now. No worries, no fears, and without any doubts. There's more - way more - but you likely get the point and it's horrible to just write out lyrics like that.
Anyway what I'm getting at is that there is a concept of self-definition which requires that to define oneself, or what oneself is, we must first understand what we are not. It works with negative situations, such as identifying that one is not the anger, not the fear, not stupid. Etc etc. It is in fact the mind which is telling us that we are these things.
From a contrasting point of view, though, it's also quite useful in positive or enjoyable situations because it can keep one level, prevent haughtiness and promote humility. Dwelling on our achievements (or anything, for that matter) encourages captured thinking which takes us away from the moment. More so, defining oneself by achievements may not be the best way to live if it means we might think of ourselves as better than others.
So now, I look back at live footage of anything post CYH era, and sort of see a guy who is not getting swallowed up in the adulation, but instead is working hard to stay present. Getting to the heart of the matter (whoops another one). Which doesn't imply Mike and Adam were getting swolled heads from cheering crowds, at all, but more that perhaps MCA just had to work harder at it.
Anyway, I had a point when I started the thread but I've clearly lost it. Mindfulness, as a very superficial introduction to connecting with one's self, has been immeasurably useful to me. It's something I wouldn't have entertained exploring without the group, and it's sorta shed a new light on my interpretation of the band dynamic too. Not least of all, it's led to a more stress-free life, based on a better understanding of happiness.
Seems appropriate to link this one (http://www.projecthappiness.org/2012/04/01/adam-yauch/) up for it's own sake, now. An oldie but a goodie, made all the more profound by the fact that it finally got its OK for release, by the man himself I presume, so near the end.