ISBN 978-0-9807399-6-1

TED

SC

OTT

TED SCOTT

YuDexter Dunphy, Visiting Professor, University of Technology Sydney

“A timeless message and a parable for our times”.

the Dragon Tamer

“This book gets to the heart of the deep structure of theunconscious mind as it struggles to awaken from its ‘dreamof fear’ so that it may attain to a greater experience of the joyand awe of ‘real life’”.

This is a book about a courageous man, Yu, whosuffered from mental illness. It tells of hispersonal and spiritual development and thegrowing intrusion of the manifestation ofmental illness in his life. It documents how hisown courage and the guidance of others helphim reconstruct his world view to somethingmore functional.

It was not my intention in writing the book tosuggest I have discovered a cure for theconditions that he manifested.

If anything I just wanted to show the difficultieswe encounter when we view the world in a dysfunctional way. I particularlywanted to show that those who are so afflicted are human beings like the restof us and often imbued with admirable qualities.

About the authorFollowing a long and successful career in Queensland’s electricity industry, andrecognised by the magazine as one of the country’stop business leaders, author Ted Scott is now an eminent executive coach and speakeron management practice. Buddhist writings and practice have provided models forhis coaching methodology and the inspiration behind the parables that make up hisfirst book, and this, his second book:

Australian Financial Review’s

Augustus Finds Serenity, Yu the Dragon Tamer.

Share some of Ted's thoughts by accessing his blog at

Boss

http://tedscott.aampersanda.com

9 7 8 0 9 8 0 7 3 9 9 6 1

Fiction/inspirational/depression

Dr Phil Harker,MA, PhD, FAIM—Applied Psychologist

Y U T H E D R A G O N T A M E R

Nearly fifty years ago, my mother gave me a book to read called ThePilgrim’s Progress. The book was an allegorical story about a youngman’s journey towards wisdom, written nearly four hundred yearsearlier by one John Bunyan whilst languishing in a prison cell on acharge of heresy. The book made a deep impression upon my life.Its contents gave me neither knowledge nor wisdom; for increasingmy knowledge about the world was not its purpose and wisdomcannot be directly taught. However what it did do for me was tostimulate my curiosity regarding the inner workings of my ownheart and mind as I observed and attempted to make sense of theworld I perceived within my arena of consciousness. Bunyan’sbook was subtle and profound. It made no attempt to force itslessons upon my mind, and much of what it had to teach neededyears of incubation before making their impact upon my life.Reading this little book by Ted Scott – an author with a mindtrained in western knowledge and a heart filled with easternwisdom – reminded me of The Pilgrim’s Progress – a simple storycarrying deep significance and offering a path to wisdom for anycurious mind that is willing and ready to hear.

There is a long and colourful history to the use of the dragonmetaphor as a way of depicting the great powers at work in theunconscious mind. Not all dragons are negative, however, and aswe will see in this little book, some very small dragons can havevery large effects! This book gets to the heart of the deep structureof the unconscious mind as it struggles to awaken from it ‘dream offear’ so that it may attain to a greater experience of the joy and aweof ‘real life’.

Dr Phil Harker MA, PhD, FAIM—Applied Psychologist

Yuthe Dragon Tamer

Ted Scott

SHORT STOP PRESS

An Imprint of A&A Book Publishing

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First published 2010

Text © Ted Scott 2010

This book is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act

1968 and subsequent amendments, no part may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system or transmitted by any means or process whatsoever without

the prior written permission of the publishers.

Cover artwork and design, internal illustrations and typesetting by

David Andor / Wave Source Design

www.wavesource.com.au

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:

Author: Scott, Ted, 1946-

Title: Yu, the dragon tamer / Ted Scott.

ISBN: 9780980739961 (pbk.)

Dewey Number: A823.4

This book is dedicated to Neil Galwey

— a truly inspirational leader.

There are so many people I need to acknowledge who havehelped me in the compilation of this book.

Firstly let me acknowledge Dr Phil Harker who over theyears has taught me so much. This whole book wasstimulated from a suggestion of his that to understandmental illness it was necessary to understand why thedeviation from normal behaviour helped the sufferer cope.We have had many discussions over a long period and hisgreat intellect and underlying humanity have been asource of continuing inspiration to me.

Once I put pen to paper—does anyone really do thatanymore—I was gratified that so many insightful peoplewere prepared to comment on my manuscript. Theirinputs, I am sure, have helped improve the final publicoffering. Let me acknowledge the comments from Dr PhilHarker, Greg Brown, my daughter, the beautiful BelindaHumphries, the insights from Mark Brookes, CecilyMoreton and many more.

But let me make a particular mention of thecontribution of Anne Savage. Anne did a very detailed editof my manuscript. She helped me unravel many of the

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

examples of convoluted language that I habitually use andsuggested many improvements to the manuscript, most ofwhich I have adopted. She has also volunteered to assistwith marketing the book. Thank you so much, Anne.

I am also grateful for the endorsement given to the bookfrom Phil Harker and—someone who has also beeninfluential in my life’s work—Dexter Dunphy. Dexter didmore than any Australian to try and understand thedynamics of organisational change. Given that much of mycorporate career was centred about that activity, Dexterprovided a huge resource of both academic theory andorganisational case studies to inform my work. Dexter, inhis latter years, has also embarked on a very spiritualjourney which has meant our paths continue to cross.

i i

Y U, T H E D R AG O N TA M E R

This is a book about a courageous man, Yu, who sufferedfrom mental illness. It tells of his personal and spiritualdevelopment and the growing intrusion of themanifestation of mental illness in his life. It documentshow his own courage and the guidance of others helphim reconstruct his world view to something morefunctional.

It was not my intention in writing the book to suggest Ihave discovered a cure for the conditions that hemanifested. Whilst I have been assured by my readings anddiscussions with psychologists that the processes could behelpful in ameliorating his condition, it is not intended toimply that it would prove so beneficial to all such sufferersof these problems.

If anything I just wanted to show the difficulties weencounter when we view the world in a dysfunctional way.I particularly wanted to show that those who are soinflicted are human beings like the rest of us and oftenimbued with admirable qualities. If this book helps otherfolk view such sufferers more humanely and reinforce thatsuch conditions are largely a result of our genetics and early

P R E FA C E

Y U, T H E D R AG O N TA M E R

iv

socialisation, matters over which we had no choice, I would be satisfied that my story was worth telling.

What is the great dragon which the spirit is no longer inclinedto call Lord and God? ‘Thou shalt,’ is the great dragon called.But the spirit of the lion saith, ‘I will.’

‘Thou shalt,’ lieth in its path, sparkling with gold — a scalecovered beast; and on every scale glittereth golden, ‘Thou shalt!’

The values of a thousand years glitter on those scales, andthus spake the mightiest of all dragons: ‘All the values of things— glitter on me.’

All values have already been created, and all created valuesdo I represent. Verily there shall be no ‘I will’ any more.

Thus speaketh the dragon.

Thus Spake Zarathustra — FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

AUGUSTUS SAT on the tamped earth in front of his Master’s hut. Takygulpa Rinpoche, as usual, was

sitting on his old stool. The old man was plaitingsome hide into a thong, which would serve to bind his twowicker baskets to either end of a pole. Oft times he wouldwalk to the next village and exchange produce with thosewho lived there. He carried his load in the baskets balancedon the pole slung across his back.

His pupil was mending his tunic with a large needlethreaded with a course tough yarn. The patch wouldn’t bepretty but at least it would be durable.

The old man looked up from his work. ‘Augustus,’ hesaid, ‘there is something I’ve neglected to tell you.’

The young Buddhist looked up respectfully at theweather-beaten old face. ‘What is that Sir?’

‘We have talked for some months about your departureand agreed you would take your leave in the early spring.’

‘Yes,’ nodded the young man. ‘That is what we agreed.My plan is to depart from here in about a month’s time.’

‘Well,’ continued the Sage. ‘An old friend has prevailedon me to take on his son as a pupil. I wanted to warn you of

1

this because he will be here in a few days. As a result you willboth be living under the same roof with me for a little while.’

Augustus was intrigued with this turn of events. Heknew the Master was very particular about who he wouldtake on as a pupil. He vividly remembered being testedthoroughly before Takygulpa Rinpoche finally consentedto taking him. Apart from a day or two when the Masterhad travelled by himself to other surrounding villages,Augustus had hardly left his side. There would seem tohave been little chance for the old man to have assessed apotential pupil. Although Augustus genuinely loved hisMaster he mused that it might be agreeable to have thecompany of another young person for a change.

‘Who is this new pupil, Master?’ Augustus’s eyes lit upwith interest. ‘Tell me a little about him.’

Takygulpa Rinpoche sighed. Augustus had lived longenough with the old man to know that he did not approvesomehow of this new pupil. ‘His name is Yu. But to tell youthe truth I know little about him.’

‘But Master, how do you know you will want him as apupil?’

‘That’s the problem Augustus—I don’t!’‘You have been very particular about who you took on

in the past.’‘Sometimes one cannot pick and choose. You see,

although I don’t know the boy, I know his father well. He isa man of great honour and integrity. He has been very goodto me in the past and now I must return his favours byassisting him in his hour of need.’

‘Why now?’ Augustus enquired with a puzzled look onhis face.

2

Y U, T H E D R AG O N TA M E R

‘Yu’s mother has taken ill and can no longer care for him.His father, Wang Shu, is a court official in the court of WengFu and must attend his official duties and so has no timeto care for the boy either.’

‘How long do you think it will be before the boy’smother is well again?’

‘It is difficult to know. You see, her illness is not of thebody but of the mind.’

Augustus was intrigued by this. ‘Master how can themind be ill? I know how the body can be ill. It happens if Ieat something that disagrees with me or I cut myself orbreak a limb. But how could the mind acquire an illness?’

Takygulpa Rinpoche laughed. ‘That is a surprisinglyperceptive question pupil. In the past we have talked aboutworld-views—how each of us contrives a way to see theworld. Most of us have world-views that enable us to livecomfortably with the world. But some of us, because of ourcircumstances or perhaps our heritage, constructdysfunctional world-views that make some aspects ofliving in this world decidedly difficult. As a result, simpleactivities that you and I take for granted become virtuallyimpossible for them. When the mind perceives the worldas a hostile place it throws up defense mechanisms to cope.This is the “illness of the mind” I am referring to. Can youremember when we studied the “Eightfold Path”? Whatwas the first step on the “Eightfold Path”?’

Augustus pondered a little and then responded, ‘Whyit was “Right View”.’

‘That is true.’ The Sage agreed. ‘Without “Right View” westruggle to deal objectively with the world. It is the first andprimary step in relating productively with the world. If our

T E D S C O T T

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Y U, T H E D R AG O N TA M E R

4

world view is unduly distorted, people call this “mentalillness”. Many human problems arise primarily becausethe mind perceives things wrongly.’

‘Can such illness be cured?’‘Sometimes—but it is not an easy process. If we can

help those so afflicted to see the world in a moreappropriate fashion many may be led to behave in moreproductive ways. There are other mental illnesses that aremore organic, arising from a physical malfunction of thebrain and therefore much more difficult to treat. Anyhowsuffice is to say as a result of such an affliction of Yu’smother, I have agreed to take Yu in. I hope you get alongwith him.’

‘I will try. After all, his situation is a difficult one.’‘Indeed it is!’

THE WORST of the winter had now passed. It was stillchill when Augustus arose at first light and went toget water from the stream. He had done this every

morning during the years he had lived with his Master,Takygulpa Rinpoche. The mist rose silently from the stillwaters of the reach of the stream close to his Master’s hut.He filled two buckets and walked back to the hut with onein each hand.

Then he found some kindling and started a fire in thehearth. Using a few twigs and leaves he soon had a smallflame alight. Gradually he added some larger pieces ofwood and after twenty minutes he was confident that thefire would continue to burn of its own accord.

The small hut had only one large room. But off to the sidewere two small chambers where in the winter he and hisMaster slept. The Sage had already commenced his practicein the main room. He sat in the lotus position on a smallmat engrossed in his meditation. Augustus went out to thefront porch and assumed the lotus position as well and fora half hour ceased the traffic in his mind and concentratedon his breath and was soon in a meditative state also.

2

Then he became aware of approaching footsteps on thegravel path leading to his Master’s hut. He looked up andwas surprised to see a finely dressed young man marchingconfidently up the path followed by an attendant pushinga barrow with a couple of chests in it. The young fellowcame right up to the porch where Augustus had beenmeditating.

‘This must be the place,’ he muttered. Turning to theattendant he commanded, ‘Put my chests under the porch.You may then return to my father’s house.’

When he looked more closely he became aware ofAugustus. He called out abruptly, ‘Hey you! Is this thehouse of the Sage, Takygulpa Rinpoche?’

Augustus nodded his agreement. The young manlooked around with some disgust. ‘It is not much of ahouse, is it?’

Augustus smiled. ‘It is a place that I have come to love.’‘You can’t have much ambition, then.’‘Well, not for grand houses at least,’ agreed Augustus.

‘Can I take it then that you are Yu?’The young man smiled a proud smile. ‘You have

obviously heard of me.’‘Just a little. The Master told me you were coming to stay

with him. It is a great honour to be accepted by the Masteras a pupil.’

‘A pupil? What do you mean a pupil? I only came to staywith him because he is a friend of my father’s and mymother is ill.’

‘You are here early this morning. Did you walk throughthe night?’

The young man looked disdainfully at Augustus. ‘Not

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Y U, T H E D R AG O N TA M E R

likely!’ he said. ‘That fool of a manservant couldn’t find thespot last night so we were forced to camp beside the pathlast night in the open.’ The passion in his voice made it plainto Augustus that his visitor was not used to “roughing it”.

The exchange at the front of the house had drawn theMaster’s attention. He strode out to the front porch andwith a quizzical voice asked, ‘Is that Yu?’

Yu responded robustly, ‘I am indeed Yu.’Yu was a tall good-looking youth with an upright

bearing. He was rangy yet muscular with a fine-featuredface. Takygulpa Rinpoche, who had never previously seenthe boy, was immediately struck by the strong similaritybetween Yu and his father.

‘Have you come far?’ asked the Sage.‘A fair journey, Sir. I set off from my father’s house five

days ago.’‘A good walk indeed, Yu.’ He looked at Augustus and

was about to ask him to show Yu in when his eyes fell onthe chests. ‘Are these yours, then?’

Yu nodded.‘This would have been a large burden to have hefted so

far!’The young man laughed. ‘Oh no Sir, it would not be

becoming of someone of noble lineage to have to carrysuch a burden. I had the benefit of one of my father’smanservants. He carried them on a barrow, depositedthem here and has now started back to my father’s house.’

The old man said under his breath, ‘The gods areseeking to test me with this one.’

‘Come in, boy,’ he said out loud, ‘and make yourself athome.’

T E D S C O T T

7

They walked into the small abode. Yu frowned at thesparseness of it all.

The Sage pointed out the two bedchambers. ‘This iswhere I sleep. Augustus sleeps in there. For the time beingyou must share his quarters.’

Yu looked aghast at the tiny room. ‘But Sir, where will Iput my chests?’

‘Don’t worry Yu. We’ll find a good place for them. Tellme, how is your father?’

‘He is well, Sir.’‘And your mother?’The young man hung his head and a veil of sadness

slipped over his face. ‘I am afraid there is no improvement.’The old man looked sympathetically at Yu. ‘That is a

shame. We trust she will get better soon.’Yu just nodded. Takygulpa Rinpoche continued, ‘As you

have observed, my little hut is a modest abode andprobably you are unused to living in such confinedquarters. But we are fortunate that we live in a beautifulvalley and Augustus and I spend a lot of our time out ofdoors. Why don’t you take yourself outside and walk downto the river. Its waters provide a source of consolation andinspiration. When the soul is hurting, oft-times nature canprovide a salve.’

They sat and talked for a little while and then Yu wentoff, as the Master had suggested, to familiarise himself withhis new surroundings.

When he was out of earshot Augustus said, ‘He mightprove a difficult pupil Master. He told me he had not cometo learn from you. What will you do? You can’t compel himto learn.’

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Y U, T H E D R AG O N TA M E R

‘Nor would I want to, Augustus. On the other hand hecan not help but learn if I provide a learning environmentand demonstrate the ways of truth.’

T E D S C O T T

9

Te d S c o t t

Ted Scott holds degrees in Electrical Engineering andEconomics. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute ofManagement. He was awarded an Order of Australia in theGeneral Division in 2004 for his contribution to industry.

Ted is the author of Augustus Finds Serenity, and he isalso the co-author of Humanity at Work and The Myth ofNine to Five with Dr Phil Harker.

He is now a partner in Human Factor Australia workingas a management consultant. He specialises in changemanagement, strategic planning and executive coaching.

Ted has served as director or chairman on many boards.He is still currently Chair of the Centre for IntegratedEngineering Asset Management and Chair of the FitzroyBasin Association.

Follow Ted Scott via his blog at:

http://tedscott.aampersanda.com

ISBN 978-0-9807399-6-1

TED

SC

OTT

TED SCOTT

YuDexter Dunphy, Visiting Professor, University of Technology Sydney

“A timeless message and a parable for our times”.

the Dragon Tamer

“This book gets to the heart of the deep structure of theunconscious mind as it struggles to awaken from its ‘dreamof fear’ so that it may attain to a greater experience of the joyand awe of ‘real life’”.

This is a book about a courageous man, Yu, whosuffered from mental illness. It tells of hispersonal and spiritual development and thegrowing intrusion of the manifestation ofmental illness in his life. It documents how hisown courage and the guidance of others helphim reconstruct his world view to somethingmore functional.

It was not my intention in writing the book tosuggest I have discovered a cure for theconditions that he manifested.

If anything I just wanted to show the difficultieswe encounter when we view the world in a dysfunctional way. I particularlywanted to show that those who are so afflicted are human beings like the restof us and often imbued with admirable qualities.

About the authorFollowing a long and successful career in Queensland’s electricity industry, andrecognised by the magazine as one of the country’stop business leaders, author Ted Scott is now an eminent executive coach and speakeron management practice. Buddhist writings and practice have provided models forhis coaching methodology and the inspiration behind the parables that make up hisfirst book, and this, his second book:

Australian Financial Review’s

Augustus Finds Serenity, Yu the Dragon Tamer.

Share some of Ted's thoughts by accessing his blog at

Boss

http://tedscott.aampersanda.com

9 7 8 0 9 8 0 7 3 9 9 6 1

Fiction/inspirational/depression

Dr Phil Harker,MA, PhD, FAIM—Applied Psychologist