I think draconic realisation is in part a question of degree, so this question is at least 'fudgeable'. In a sense though, potentially some scatty monk someone might be _more_ realized, just not playing quite the same self-sacrificing boddhisattva role, or in some way 'just not quite be the sort of dragon we're looking for, my good fellow'. It's possible that some monks would just be taking the bee-line to personal liberation, without the whole boddhisattva lark, or in any way detaining oneself in the Summer Land Heaven (that's for wimps!), but I think more commonly if there were some other great draconic mystic rolling around the place, he'd be seen to be serving some _other_ role in the grand scheme of things (serving as an example to the masses, ensuring that the next emperor is found and installed on schedule, preserving the empire/world/ cosmos in some manner...).
Naturally, whatever happened, there was some cosmic purpose behind it. Though it's always easier to see how that's so given a century or so of hindsight...
Cheers,
Alex.
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