An Awareness of What Is Best and Most Beautiful
In Rome, during May of 1974, Śrīla Prabhupāda meets with Mr. Desmond James Bernard O'Grady, a noted Irish poet: "My request to you is this. You are a poet. Just describe God. You are expert in describing, and therefore I ask you to kindly describe God in your occupation. Then your life will be successful. . . ."
Mr. O'Grady:  Your edition of the  Bhagavad-gītā  is very nice.
Śrīla Prabhupāda:  It is the fifth edition in two years.
Mr. O'Grady:  In which country has the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement been the most successful?
Śrīla Prabhupāda:  Everywhere. In Africa, America, Canada, Japan, China. But actually it has been most successful in America. Many Americans have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Mr. O'Grady:  What about here in Rome? Have you had problems with the police?
Śrīla Prabhupāda:  We have problems everywhere. Police sometimes harass us, but usually they become tired and eventually don't do anything. [Laughter.]
Mr. O'Grady:  The system give up? That's marvelous. I feel very tired of the system myself. Something is wrong with the present state of affairs. Maybe you can give me some advice on how to beat the system.
Śrīla Prabhupāda:  You Irish people! You are never tired of fighting.
Mr. O'Grady:  No. [Laughter.] It's inside us.
Śrīla Prabhupāda:  Actually, the fighting has been going on constantly.
Mr. O'Grady:  Well, what do you suggest we do about it? I mean, is it morally correct for me to be sitting here . . .
Śrīla Prabhupāda:  As long as we remain illusioned by the bodily conception of life, thinking we are these bodies, one man thinking "I am Irish," another thinking "I am Italian, American, Indian," and so on—as long as this goes on, the fighting will go on. You cannot stop fighting between dogs and cats. Why do they fight? The dog simply thinks, "I am a big
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