The Beastie Boys‘ Adam “MCA” Yauch e-mailed fans today with an update regarding his recovery from salivary gland cancer, saying he traveled to India to seek advice from Tibetan doctors and attend a “three-day teaching” led by the Dalai Lama. “I’m feeling healthy, strong and hopeful that I’ve beaten this thing, but of course time will tell,” MCA writes.

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“I’m taking Tibetan medicine and at the recommendation of the Tibetan doctors I’ve been eating a vegan/organic diet, which surprisingly enough was harder to do in India than it is now that I’m back home. Here I can just shop for the right food and cook… a lot easier than depending on restaurants,” Yauch adds. “When I was in India I visited an ani gompa (a nunnery) called jamyang choling. They did a puja (religious ceremony) for me to help me get well. One nun said to me ‘we do prayers and then you are better.’ So I’ve got that going for me, which is nice.” It’s nice to see cancer hasn’t dulled Yauch’s ability to make kickass Caddyshack references. (more…)

Adam Yauch, Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz played a benefit on New York’s West Side last night for the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, a Bronx-based agency dedicated to the idea that “music has unique powers to heal, rehabilitate, and inspire.”

“I had wanted to do this one charity for my cousin who had gotten shot in the leg 15 times,” said Yauch before the show. “But these guys wouldn’t do it.”

“It’s weird that he got shot only in the leg that excessively,” said Horovitz. “That’s a lot of shots.”

On a serious note, Diamond added: “It just seemed like amazing work that [the IMNF is] doing out there in the Bronx. And it’s also work that doesn’t get much attention and it’s helping people in need.” (more…)