the parable of the impoverished son

The Parable of the Impoverished Son
From the Lotus Sutra Chapter 4, Belief and Understanding

Once a boy ran away from home and wandered for many years becoming more and more poor and confused.

The boy’s father loved his son very much, but had no idea where to find him. As time went on, the father became very rich.

Fifty years passed. One day, the son showed up at his father's estate. He did not know whose grand home this was, but wondered if he could find a job there. The father recognized his son, and set messengers to greet him. The father was overjoyed that his son had returned.

But the son misunderstood. He thought the messengers were trying to arrest him for doing something wrong.

The father saw his son’s fear and confusion. He realized his son was not ready to accept the truth, so he told the messengers to leave his son alone.

Later the father had some of his servants dress in rags. He had these servants go to his son and offer him a job shoveling excrement. The son had been living so poorly for so long, he saw this job as a wonderful opportunity.

Over the years, the father showed an interest in his son. He praised him, increasing his pay, and gave him better jobs. But he never told him his true identity.

After twenty years, the father was old and near death. By then the son was in charge of all of the wealthy man’s business. The son had become a responsible but humble man.

Finally, just before his death, the father gathered all of his friends and all the powerful people of the city to his bedside. He told them all the true identity of his son. He said his son was heir to all his fortune.

well tell me dont telling the truth for 20 years isnt same as tellin a lie?
i would say no. one can argue that but tell me if he had told his son earlier will he had the capacity to take care and to learn so diligently.
rather than owing something its better to acquire skills.
and that wise father who was longing for his son and would love to part away with all his wealth and give it to his son had to wait for 20 years.
how difficult that would have been for the father.
similarly, shakyamuni knew the real and ultimate truth that is lotus sutra but how difficult it would have been for him to not actually speak of it and circumvent for a moajor part of his preaching life to make sure that his disciples can get to that level of understanding.
it was all his compassion.
a vast ocean of compassion :)