In Focus: Bhaktine Hyesun (New Govardhan, Australia)
By Jhulan dasi
J: Please tell us about yourself and what brought you to Krishna consciousness?
H: I was born in Korea and my mother was a Buddhist. I often went to a Buddhist temple with her, so I was familiar with a temple atmosphere. My mother was a singer in traditional Korean music, so I was trained in singing from an early age. I decided to continue studying music at university, but I became disappointed with the music industry. I was frustrated to see that connections and money were more important to success as a musician than sincerity and heart. I felt some emptiness in my own heart and decided to go to Thailand to discover myself. There I met a devotee and was given a Bhagavad-gita As It Is.
J: Tell us about your service at New Govardhana.
H: I have a variety of services: I clean Their Lordships’ paraphernalia, cook breakfast, make garlands, do kirtana at Krishna Village, assist with cooking for the Deities, work in the Temple Shop, make sweets for the Bhagavad-gita class and the goshalla shop and make ghee wicks for the aratis. I feel especially purified when I make garlands, as it requires me to surrender – and I also like to see the Lord wearing beautiful garlands. I am happy and peaceful when I cook. It also makes me think of Krishna more easily.
J: You made a very beautiful pot for the Panihati festival, can you tell us about the process?
H: I was going to paint a scene of Vrindavana, but I wanted to have Radha Govardhanadhari on there too. It took almost two months to finish both. When I was painting Radha Govardhanadhari, I felt Krishna was talking to me each time.
J: Is there anything else you would like to add?
H: I appreciate each member of the New Govardhana family for being patient and kind to me, although I often make mistakes. I hope to stay in New Govardhana so that I can continue serving Sri Sri Radha Govardhanadhari, Srila Prabhupada and the devotees as much as I can.