What benefits can I expect from Buddhism?

Explanation: Well directed thoughts can help a person better than one’s father or one’s mother.

The Story of Soreyya (Verse 43)

While residing at the Jetavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this
verse, with reference to Soreyya, the son of a rich man of the city of
Soreyya. On one occasion, Soreyya accompanied by a friend and some
attendants was going out in a carriage for a bath. At that moment, monk
Mahakaccayana was adjusting his robes outside the city, as he was going
into the city of Soreyya for alms-food. The youth Soreyya, seeing the
youthful complexion of the monk, thought, “How I wish the monk were my
wife, so that the complexion of my wife would be like his” As the wish
arose in him, his sex changed and he became a woman. Very much ashamed,
he got down from the carriage and ran away, taking the road to Taxila.
His companions looked for him, but they could not find him.

Soreyya, now a woman, offered her signet ring to some people going to
Taxila, to allow her to go with them in their carriage. Upon arrival at
Taxila, her companions told a young rich man of Taxila about the lady
who came along with them. The young rich man, finding her to be very
beautiful and of a suitable age for him, married her. As a result of
this marriage two sons were born; there were also two sons from the
previous marriage of Soreyya as a man.

One day, a rich man’s son from the city of Soreyya came to Taxila
with a caravan of five hundred carts. Lady Soreyya, recognizing him to
be an old friend, sent for him. The man from Soreyya was surprised that
he was invited, because he did not know the lady who invited him. He
told the Lady Soreyya that he did not know her, and asked her whether
she knew him.

She answered that she knew him and also enquired after the health of
her family and other people in the city of Soreyya. The man from Soreyya
next told her about the rich man’s son who disappeared mysteriously
while going for a bath.

Then the Lady Soreyya revealed her identity and related all that had
happened, about the wrongful thoughts with regard to monk Mahakaccayana,
about the change of sex, and her marriage to the young rich man of
Taxila. The man from the city of Soreyya then advised the Lady Soreyya
to ask pardon from the monk. Monk Mahakaccayana was accordingly invited
to the home of Soreyya and alms-food was offered to him. After the meal,
the Lady Soreyya was brought to the presence of the monk, and the man
from Soreyya told the monk that the lady was at one time the son of a
rich man from Soreyya. He then explained to the monk how Soreyya was
turned into a female on account of his wrongful thoughts towards the
respected monk.

Lady Soreyya then respectfully asked pardon of Monk Mahakaccayana.
The monk then said, “Get up, I forgive you” As soon as these words were
spoken, the woman was changed back to a man. Soreyya then pondered how
within a single existence and with a single body he had undergone change
of sex and how sons were born to him. And feeling very weary and
repulsive of all these things, he decided to leave the householder’s
life and joined the sangha under the monk.

After that, he was often asked, “Whom do you love more, the two sons
you had as a man or the other two you had as a woman?” To those, he
would answer that his love for those borne as a woman was greater. This
question was put to him so often, he felt very much annoyed and ashamed.
So he stayed by himself and, with diligence, contemplated the decay and
dissolution of the body. He soon attained arahatship together with the
analytical insight. When the old question was next put to him he replied
that he had no affection for any one in particular. Other monks hearing
him thought he must be telling a lie. When it was reported about
Soreyya giving a different answer, the Buddha said, “My son is not
telling lies, he is speaking the truth.”