Reviews.
"I really like this book.
I like it sitting on my amplifier and I like it in
my hand. I like the way it looks and the way
it feels. I like all the lovely pictures inside it
and I like the things he says. I’ve not read a
book like this before.
The suggestions he makes about playing
instruments are really interesting and, as a
musician, I have found them very simple,
very profound, and great fun to play with.
As a person living a life, I’ve also found that
those same suggestions about playing instr-
uments have their place outside of musician-
ship too.
Like um... the bit about... oh, well there’s
lots of bits that do that.
One of the things I really like is that he’s not
trying to convince anyone of anything about
zen. He’s not saying “I’ll prove to you that I
know this....”, and he’s not full of riddles of
the mind that you’re supposed to grasp so that all might be revealed. He’s just all
light-hearted and fun and caring and he makes me laugh. He knows, and he’s talking
about something else.
Well... you know what I mean."
- Martyn Alexander Cawthorne (Derbyshire, England)
"This book is a thing of beauty. And it is very rare, unique... it has a certain flavour that
you will not find in any other book. It is a direct expression from someone who is alive
and knows... it is not an intellectual book. It is full of crazy, sweet, silly, loving madness,
and it is totally sincere. But it also has quite a kick to it, so
don't take it for granted - it is real. If it speaks to you, then
there you go! Wow... you just found something so precious,
it is one in a million. No, one in a billion... at least. No joke."
- Preman Tilson (Chicago, USA)
"Anadi's book is mad. Fantastically mad. Inspirationally so.
The layout and lack of page numbers make for a freeform
splash of zen-on-a-page.
You don't have to be a violin player. Or even into zen. You
will still find gems. The illustrations enhance and tell a story
of their own. Hooray!
Ahhh refreshing. :)"
- Janieke de Graaf (New Zealand)
"A refreshing look at the pleasure of practicing. Also,
informative suggestions to use when purchasing an
instrument."
- Marilyn Stowell (Illinois, USA)
"I like how Anadi talks directly to the reader, as if there is a real conversation
occuring, and how there are no page numbers, so refreshing! It is fun and soft and
inspiring and tastes like clouds on a sunny day. It made me happy and smiley and
inspired. If I was asked to give one book to many random strangers, this would
definitely be it!"
- Todd Stewart (New Zealand)
"This is the perfect gift for your favorite string player, in fact,
any musician. On the surface, it is beautifully and artistically
produced. Beneath the surface, Anadi lets you into the mind
of someone who is different from anyone you know, yet will
speak to you as someone who knows you quite well. The book
is philosophical, psychological and praxial as he explores the
why, the how and the informed practice of what we do, not
only as musical artists, but as members of an interconnected
universe. His critical look at private teaching will have you
reexamining the quality of the most common methods of
instruction. I hope this becomes the first in a series of books
that reach into the realm of all music making, and, indeed, all
the performing arts."
- Jim Cole (New Jersey, USA)
"This book is beautiful. Thank you for writing it. This book is
beautiful because it has a lot of heart. A great big heart. And
awareness, and self-examination need a really big heart to see
with. You cannot ask too much from a book. It does not listen
to you. It does not hear like you hear. It does not respond to you. Not like you may
respond to another. But it may deliver a message, an insight, a lesson. And this book
has delivered for me. And I hope it continues to do this more and more. Blessings on
the medium and the messenger."
- Ed Ulrich (New York, USA)
"I am a much better, more aware teacher for reading this book. It sits by my bedside table for whenever I need a reminder of how to teach and why I do it. It also helped me forgive really bad teachers from my past, you know, the kind that tell you that you're not smart enough, that you can't write, or they just plain don't like you. Thank you, Zen Master Bunny. Can't wait for the sequel!"
- Nadine Warner (Chicago, USA)
ZEN AND THE ART OF OF BUNNY RABBITS
Express catches up with Zen Master Avatar Prem Anadi from Wellington who has just
launched his cute book Bunny Rabbit The Third Takes Violin Lessons.
What a sweet little book Anadi ...tell me, is it biographical?
Yes, I guess it is really ...I am sharing the moment with the reader, and whenever I
find myself, I find myself in the moment where I cannot help but be myself. Yep,
much of who I am is reflected in the book. It is kind of like when you are having a
conversation with someone; irregardless 
of the topic at hand, they are expressing
who they are – well, they are if you
are listening in every sense! And yes,
I am communicating the truth of my
personal experience: there is no point
in my illustrating the moment with
lies! I mean, I trust the intelligence
of the reader enough that I do not feel
the need to create fictional stories
about my walking on the moon for them.
...and yeah, the book kind of wrote
itself. After two years of note-taking it flowed together easily when I sat down to piece it
all together, although, that said, it took another year to complete the manuscript. Put it
this way, it was never work to write it ...it was an enjoyable process.
Avatar is such a great word. ( a dictionary would describe it as a god descending to earth
reincarnated) What does it mean to you?
To me it expresses a synergistic balance with the Zen Master part of my name: the
personal knowing of the divine in everything, myself included. The greater my awareness
via Zen, the more I “am one” with the mystical and divine, myself included. The word
Avatar in my name is also a personal expression of gratitude toward one of my teachers,
one of three spiritual teachers who guided me to the moment of enlightenment. And that
is what I am doing now, passing on the tools to enlightenment.
We love the word zen as well! How has being in a zen state improved your life?
A state of zen is really spiritual awakening! It hit me in 1999 and for me it was as much
about stepping through being fearful as it was about anything else. Fear still exists in my
life but it is no longer the sole Master as it once was.
The layout of your book is charming. You have used space as if it's a luxurious experience
and we love the illustrations as well !
Thank you. The blank space to me is about a meditation process, and hopefully it allows
people to find that space within themselves. The colour illustrations are by my friend and
fellow gay Kiwi, Clyde Clemett.
So what's next?
I'm immersed in writing my next book. It is called Zen Master Avatar Prem Anadi Bunny
Rabbit The Third Gives Violin Lessons.
- Express Magazine, New Zealand, 13 February, 2008
Some Fun!
If you would like to post a comment regarding the book, please send your comment to:
avataranadi "at" hotmail.com.
Oh, and please remember to sign your name.
Thank you,
Zen Master Avatar Prem Anadi Bunny Rabbit The Third, garden-variety