Good sutras relating to the "danger of views?"

[punkdbass]

I was wondering if any of you could recommend me some good sutras that elucidate the danger of clinging to "views"? The reason I ask is because I feel like there's always many different ways to view any issue, but no real method for determining which view is correct. Thus I often find myself simultaneously feeling attraction and aversion towards many different views that I often cling too (e.g. anti-capitalism, pro-capitalism, belief in God, not belief in God, belief in Spirit, belief in scientific materialism, belief that one's consciousness survives death, belief that we merely "live on" through those we've interacted with, just to name a few...). I know the Buddha has some wisdom to share for someone in this type of predicament, but I cant remember any sutras off the top of my head.

And for a Bonus, if none of the above view's I mentioned are correct (and I know the Buddha would say they are not), what exactly is the right view too have? Or perhaps the more skillful view to have about these things?

Thanks

 

[crossfire]

The Water Snake Simile is all about clinging to views.
Alagaddupama Sutta: The Water-Snake Simile

If you have difficulty in deciding whether a view is malevolent, there is always the Kalama Sutta
Kalama Sutta: To the Kalamas

 

[crossfire]

The most skillful stance is the agnostic one--examine and contemplate everything as if you really didn't know it. If you think you know something, then the questioning and contemplation stops--which means "wrong knowledge" (clinging to views) could be even more dangerous than ignorance--as you won't even investigate "what you assume you already know."

 

[Secret Chief]

Although not a sutra, perhaps sit with Faith Mind Inscription by Sengcan.

(translations are quite variable)

 

[punkdbass]

Thanks a lot Crossfire, those were the exact suttras I thinking of.. I printed them off and will read them later this weekend!

 

[Ablaze]

Here are several from the earliest record of the Buddha's teachings, the Atthakavagga, which revolves around the dangers of attachment to views as one of its central themes.

Dutthatthaka Sutta: Corrupted

Paramatthaka Sutta: Supreme

Pasura Sutta: To Pasura

Cula-viyuha Sutta: The Lesser Array

Maha-viyuha Sutta: The Great Array

 

[Rick O'Shez]

The most skillful stance is the agnostic one--examine and contemplate everything as if you really didn't know it. If you think you know something, then the questioning and contemplation stops--which means "wrong knowledge" (clinging to views) could be even more dangerous than ignorance--as you won't even investigate "what you assume you already know."

I agree about agnosticism, but what about Right View in the 8-fold path?

 

[crossfire]

I agree about agnosticism, but what about Right View in the 8-fold path?

What about it?

"And what is right view? Knowledge with reference to suffering, knowledge with reference to the origination of suffering, knowledge with reference to the cessation of suffering, knowledge with reference to the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering: This is called right view."

Source: Magga-vibhanga Sutta: An Analysis of the Path