Activities and events

By invitation of the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, he was official lecturer in representation of Venezuela at the 3d Ibero-American Conference on Environmental Education (Ministry of the Environment and Renewable Resources, October 2000); he was one of the lecturers in the National Dialogue in the Latin American and Caribbean Encounter on Dialogue of Civilizations (UNESCO and Ministry of Foreign Relations, November 2001); he was lecturer in the 2d International Forum of Philosophy (Ministry of Culture, August 2006), and he was also lecturer in the International Conference “The Art of Peace” (Ministry of Defense, April 2007). He has lectured in Conferences, Symposia and Courses, as well as invited lecturer, in Universities in Venezuela, Spain, Peru and Costa Rica, on subjects including philosophy, politics, African and Asian studies, environmental education, intercultural dialogue, human rights, and so on. Below these activities are listed by categories.

Lectures (International):

August 1997: Lecture “The Hegelian Inversion of History,” in the Continuous Cycle of Lectures of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru.
August 1997: Lecture “Beyond Mind: Steps to a Meta-Transpersonal Psychology.” Institute of Natural Medicine, Lima, Peru.
October 05, 2005, 7:00 to 9:00 PM: Lecture “The Four Noble Truths of the Buddha.” Tibetan-Costa Rican Cultural Association / Tibetan Dharma Center “Land of the Compassionate Buddha with One Thousand Eyes.”
October 06, 2005, 7:00 to 9:00 PM: Lecture “Buddhist Dzogchen.” Tibetan-Costa Rican Cultural Association / Tibetan Dharma Center “Land of the Compassionate Buddha with One Thousand Eyes.”
October 12, 2005, 5:00 to 7:00 PM: Lecture “The Philosophical Conception of Buddhism and the Way of Dzogchen Atiyoga,” by invitation of the Department of Philosophy of the Faculty of Philosophy and Literature of the National University of Costa Rica, in the province of Heredia (in Hall 2 of the new building of the Faculty of Social Sciences).
October 13, 2005, 11 AM to 01 PM, Lecture on philosophy of history “Beyond the Myth of Eternal Progress,” by invitation of the School of Philosophy. Auditorium of the Faculty of Literature.
October 19, 2005; 04:40 to 06:30 PM; 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Lecture “Transpersonal and Meta-Transpersonal Psychology.” By invitation of the Department of Psychology of the Central-American University of Social Sciences, Principal Auditorium of this University.
January 9, 2008, 2:30 through 5:00 PM. Lecture “Heidegger’s Misconceptions of Buddhist Philosophy.” Centre for Philosophy, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India.
January 10, 2008, 10:00 through 12:00 AM. Lecture “Foreign Influences and Colonization in India and Latin America.” School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India.
January 10, 2008, de 2:30 through 5:00 PM. Lecture “Existential and Meta-Existential Philosophy.” Centre for Philosophy, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India.
July 28, 2008, 3 through 6 PM. Lecture: Buddhism and Venezuelan Socialism. Institute for East Asian Studies at SungKongHoe University, Project “Asia as ‘Culture:’ Reconstructing Asia Through Ideology, Institution and Everyday Life.” Seoul, Korea.
September 29, 2009, lectured on “Buddhism: A Dzoghen Approach,” in the Buddhist Center Kagyü Tekcheng Chökhor Ling in the town of Guayaquil, Ecuador.
October 1, 2009, lectured on “Dzogchén: A Buddhist Approach”, in the Buddhist Center Kagyü Tekcheng Chökhor Ling in the town of Guayaquil, Ecuador.
On October 07, 08 and 09, 2009, from 8 AM through 12 AM and from 2 PM through 4 PM gave a series of lectures to the students of the subject “Self-knowledge” on the Contemporary Relevance of Buddhism, Karma and Rebirth, and the Paths in Buddhism, at the San Francisco University in Quito, Ecuador.
On October 8, 2009, from 10 through 11:30 AM, lectured on “Ecosocialismo” at the Salesian Polytechnical University in Quito, Ecuador.
On October 12, 2009, from 12 M through 1:30 PM, to some 120 students and professors gave the Magistral Lecture, “The Crisis of Capitalist Postmodernity (and the Transformation of Consciousness): A Buddhist Approach,” at the Theater “Calderon de la Barca” in the San Francisco University in Quito, Ecuador.

Lectures (National):

January 1985: Tantric Buddhism in Today’s World. Series of five lectures by invitation of the School of Philosophy and the Extension Unit of the Faculty of Humanities and Education of the Central University of Venezuela. Subject: Comparative philosophy East and West, Ontology, Psychology, Ecology and Economics, Physics, Sexology.
June 1985: Tantric Buddhism and Western Contemporary Thought. Lecture by invitation of the Caracas Pedagogical University Institute.
July 1985: Tantric Buddhism and the West: Psychology and Philosophy. Series of five lectures by invitation of the School of Philosophy and the Extension Unit of the Faculty of Humanities and Education of the Central University of Venezuela. Subject: Comparative philosophy East and West, Ontology, Psychology, Ecology and Economics, Physics, Sexology.
March 1986: Series of Lectures at the Birthplace of Andrés Eloy Blanco, in Cumana, Edo. Sucre.
Early 1986: Series of five lectures by invitation of the School of Philosophy and the Extension Unit of the Faculty of Humanities and Education of the Central University of Venezuela. Subject: Comparative philosophy East and West, Ontology, Psychology, Ecology and Economics, Physics, Sexology.
1987: The Tibetan Book of the Dead and the Self-Liberation of the Six Bardos or Modes of Experience. Series of Conferences by invitation of the Venezuelan Dzogchen Community, at the Caracas Athenaeum.
May 2001: Lecture “Primordial Aesthetics and Visionary Art: A Cyclic-Evolutionary Comparative Approach.” Museum of Contemporary Art of Zulia (State), Maracaibo, Venezuela.

Lectures (Regional):

April 1986: Series of Lectures at the Municipal Institute of Culture and Merenap Auditorium. Mérida, Venezuela.
Various lectures in the regular classes of professors of various Faculties of the University of The Andes in Mérida.
Lecture “Dehumanization and Technological Development” in the Series of Lectures “Technology in the Development of Geographical Sciences” organized by the Free Chair “Geography and the Contemporary World” of the School of Geography of the Faculty of Forestry of the University of The Andes, Mérida, Venezuela.
Series of Lectures “Systems Theory, Buddhism and Ecology” at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of The Andes, Mérida, Venezuela.

Courses and Seminars (International):

July 1997: Course “Santi Maha Sangha: Base Level.” Lima, Peru, by invitation of the Dzogchen Community of Peru.
September 1998: Course “Santi Maha Sangha: Base Level.” Madrid, Spain, by invitation of the Dzogchen Community of Spain.
August 2000: Course “Buddhism and Dzogchen” (based on the book of the same name). Almería, Spain, by invitation of the Dzogchen Community of Spain.
August-September 2000: Course “Buddhism and Dzogchen” (based on the book of the same name). Barcelona, Spain, by invitation of the Dzogchen Community of Spain.
September 2000: Course “Buddhism and Dzogchen” (based on the book of the same name). Madrid, Spain, by invitation of the Dzogchen Community of Spain.
October 08 through 16, 2005: Course “Buddhism and Dzogchen: The Doctrine of the Buddha and the Supreme Vehicle of Tibetan Buddhism” (based on the book of the same name). Theory and Practice, in an auditorium of the county of Escazú, for the classroom of the Open National University (U.N.A.) in the province of Heredia proved too small. Saturdays and Sundays, full morning and afternoon; weekdays, 07:00 to 10:00 PM.
From March 14 through March 17, 2008, taught, in Tashigar North, Winter Continental Gar of the Dzogchen Community in South America, the intensive Seminar in English, “Distinguishing Levels of Meaning in the Santi Maha Sangha Base Training (Or ‘Making one's Treasure Chest of Drawers for Organizing the Teachings of SMS Base Level’): *Levels of Meaning According to Paths; *Levels of Meaning According to Vehicles; *Outer, Inner and Secret (and in some cases Super-Secret) Meanings; *Provisional (neyartha / drangdön [drang-don]) and Definitive (nitartha / ngedön [nges-don]) Meanings” (schedule: Friday 14, 3:30 PM-6:30 PM; Saturdy 15, 9:30 AM-12:30 PM and 3:30 PM-6:30 PM; Sunday 16, 9:30 AM-12:30 PM and 3:00 PM-5:00 PM, and Monday 17 9:30 AM-12:30 PM and 3:30 PM-6:30 PM). Total: 20 hours of teachings and practices.
On October 28 and 30, 2009, 7-10 PM, taught the Seminar titled “Crisis of Western Civilization and Ways of (Self-)Knowledge: Beyond Capitalism, Modernity and Alienation, at the Faculty of Communication “Mónica Herrera” of Casa Grande University in the town of Guayaquil, Ecuador, by invitation of the Departament of Research on Comunication y Culture (DICYC).
From January 06 through 31, de 2010, taught, in Tashigar North, Winter Continental Gar of the Dzogchen Community in South America, the intensive Seminar in English, “Distinguishing Levels of Meaning in the Santi Maha Sangha Base Training (Or ‘Making one's Treasure Chest of Drawers for Organizing the Teachings of SMS Base Level’): *Levels of Meaning According to Paths; *Levels of Meaning According to Vehicles; *Outer, Inner and Secret (and in some cases Super-Secret) Meanings; *Provisional (neyartha / drangdön [drang-don]) and Definitive (nitartha / ngedön [nges-don]) Meanings”

Courses and Seminars (National):

1995, with Mayda G. Hocevar G., professor of Philosophy of Law at the Faculty of Law and Politics of the University of The Andes in Mérida, Venezuela: Course “The deconstruction of the ‘I’ in David Hume”. Trujillo, Edo. Trujillo, University of The Andes at Trujillo.
July-August 1998: Course “Santi Maha Sangha: Base Level.” Karimao, Caracas, by invitation of the Dzogchen Community of Caracas.
December 2005: Course “Santi Maha Sangha: Base Level.” Caracas, by invitation of the Dzogchen Community of Caracas.
July-August 2006: Course “Santi Maha Sangha: Base Level.” Caracas, by invitation of the Dzogchen Community of Caracas.
March 14-17, 2008. Course-Retreat “Distinguishing Levels of Meaning in the Santi Maha Sangha Base Training (Or “Making One’s Own Treasure Chest of Drawers for Organizing the Teachings of SMS Base Level”). Pedro Gonzalez, Nueva Esparta State, Venezuela, by Invitation of the Dzogchen Community of Tashigar North.

Courses and Seminars (Regional):

1987-1988: Philosophical Thought East and West. Department of Philosophy of the University of The Andes in Mérida. Based on the book Qué somos y adónde vamos (1986). Subject: Comparative philosophy East and West, Ontology, Psychology, Ecology and Economics, Physics, Sexology.
1992-1994: One course per month. Chair of Eastern Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Education, University of The Andes. Subjects: Buddhism, Sufism and Ismailism, modern physics and eastern philosophy, psychology East and West, Tibetan culture, etc.
April 1994 - April 1996: Course on the book Individuo, sociedad, ecosistema (Mérida 1994, Consejo de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Los Andes), as part of the activities of the Chair of Eastern Studies.

Papers Read at Conferences and Symposia (International):

August 1997: Paper “Utility of Philosophy.” National Conference of Students of Philosophy. University of San Marcos, Lima, Peru.
1998: Paper “On the roads of the 3d Millennium.” International Conference of the Latin American Association of Studies on Africa and Asia. (Read by professor Hernán Lucena.) Cartagena, Colombia.
August 1998: Paper “Aletheia: Heraclitus vs. Heidegger.” 1st Ibero-American Conference on Philosophy. Caceres and Madrid, Spain.
November 1999: Paper “Aesthetics of Eternal Return and Visionary Art.” In the 3d International Symposium of Aesthetics in Mérida, Venezuela.
October 2000: Paper “Ecological Crisis: An Educative Response?” In the 3d Ibero-American Conference of Environmental Education. Caracas, Venezuela.
April 24 through July 09, 2003: Paper “Commonplaces in the New Realities in International Relationships and Human Rights.” Mérida, Venezuela: University of The Andes, Bolivarian Government of Mérida State and Association of Professors of the University of The Andes: International Course “The New Realities in International Relationships and Human Rights.”
June 07 and 08, 2004: Paper “Globalization: A Critical, Alternative Approach.” Mérida, Venezuela, University of The Andes, Institute of Geography and Conservation of Natural Resources and Center of Studies of Africa and Asia: French-Venezuelan Conference: A Diamond in Transformation: Globalization and Other Topics.”
April 27-28, 2007: Paper “Arte de la Paz, Arte de la Guerra (Art of Peace, Art of War).” CCaracas, Venezuela, Ministry of the Popular Power for Defense: International Conference “The art of peace.” Caracas, Venezuela.
July 19 through 21, 2007: Paper Filosofía degenerativa de la historia: Pruebas aportadas por la investigación científica en las últimas décadas (Degenerative Philosophy of History: Support by Scientific Research in the Last Decades). Merida, Venezuela: Asociación Suramericana de Historiadores / Universidad de Los Andes: III Congreso Sudamericano de Historia (South American Conference on History). Prof. Capriles coordinated the Symposium Filosofía y Saber Histórico (Philosophy and Historical Knowledge) in the same event.
January 05 through 08, 2008: “Transpersonal and Metatranspersonal Theory: A Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist Evaluation of Transpersonal Thought.” Delhi, India: World Congress on Psychology and Spirituality, 2008. Association for Transpersonal Psychology (USA), Infinity Foundation (Princeton, USA), Shruti Foundation (India). Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India.
August 03, 11 AM: “Heidegger's Misreception of Buddhist Philosophy.” XXII World Congress of Philosophy. World Association of Philosophy, the Korean Organizing Committee of the XXII World Congress of Philosophy and Seoul National University: WCP 2008. Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
August 05, 11 AM: “Svasamvittih / Svaswamvedana in the Light of Sartre’s Philosophy.” XXII World Congress of Philosophy. World Association of Philosophy, the Korean Organizing Committee of the XXII World Congress of Philosophy and Seoul National University: WCP 2008. Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
July 23, 2010, 14:30-15:50, in the Panel “Future of Transpersonal Approach,” read the paper “The Future of Transpersonal Theory and Practice.” 17th International Transpersonal Conference, ITA, Moscow.
July 26, 2010, 14:30-15:50, in the Panel “New Paradigm in Science,” which he presided, read the paper, “Svasamvedana, the New Paradigm in Consciousness and Transpersonal Psychology: Transpersonal and Metatranspersonal Theory.” 17th International Transpersonal Conference, ITA, Moscow.
His paper Degenerative Evolution, Ecocrisis and Spiritual Revolution, registered in the 17th International Transpersonal Conference, ITA, Moscow, could not be read due to schedule problems, but was published in full in the Procedings of the Conference http://www.ita2010.com/downloads/en/eng_17th_Conference_Theses.pdf, pp. 66-72.

Papers Read at Conferences and Symposia (National):

April 19 to 24, 1988: Paper “Wisdom, Equality and Peace.” First International Encounter for Peace, Disarmament and Life. University of The Andes, Mérida, Venezuela.
1990: Paper “Science, Shamanism and Metashamanism.” In the Second National Conference on Ethnomedicine and Religion. Archeological Museum, University of The Andes, Mérida, Venezuela. Auditorium of Merenap.
October 1994: Paper “Heraclitus and the East.” 4th National Conference of Philosophy. University of The Andes, Mérida, Venezuela. At Hotel Don Juan.
December 6 to 8, 1995: Paper “Steps to a Comparative Evolutionary Aesthetics: China, India, Tibet and Europe.” 2d National Conference of the Latin American Association of African and Asian Studies, Venezuelan Chapter.
1997: Paper “With Regard to Asian Studies.” 3d National Conference of the Latin American Association of African and Asian Studies. Mérida, Venezuela.
October 1997: Paper “Pseudo-Postmodern Nihilism vs. True Postmodernity.” “3d National Encounter of Professors of Philosophy of Law and Connected Disciplines,” dedicated to Dr. J. J. Delgado Ocando.” Faculty of Law and Politics, University of The Andes, Mérida, Venezuela.
November 1999: Paper “Steps to a meta-Ontological Hermeneutics.” 5th National Conference on Philosophy. Caracas, Venezuela, UCV.
May 17 to 19, 2000: Paper “Globalization from Above, Globalization from Below.” 4th National Conference of Studies on Africa and Asia: Culture and Globalization: Economic Crises, Dependence and Identities. University of The Andes and Latin American Association for Studies on Africa and Asia (ALADAA), Venezuelan Chapter.
November 8 and 9, 2001: Paper “Imposed Globalization of an Oppressive System vs. Egalitarian Dialogue of Civilizations: Ecosystem, Economy and Society.” Latin American and Caribbean Encounter on Dialogue of Civilizations. UNESCO (ONU) and Ministry of Foreign Relations of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Subject: Religion, State and Society.
April 26 to 28, 2004: Paper “A Major Venezuelan Contradiction: Petroleum, Ecology and Economy.” I National Encounter “Petroleum and International Relationships.” Mérida, Venezuela: University of The Andes, Academic Vice-Presidency, Association of Lawyers of Mérida State, Federation of University Student Centers, Society for Political, Administrative and Social Studies, Center of Legal, Criminological and Social Studies (CEJUCS).

Papers Read at Conferences and Symposia (Regional):

November 1997: Paper “India: Which Tradition? Continuity in Which Change?” Seminar “India: Tradition and Modernity. Continuity in Change?” Faculty of Humanities and Education of the University of The Andes, Embassy of India in Venezuela, Research Group on African and Asian Studies, and Latin American Association for African and Asian Studies-Venezuelan Chapter.
Late 1998: Paper “Contribution of India Toward the Solution of the Global Crisis.” Seminar “India: From its Universal Contribution to the Thinkers of Independence.” Faculty of Humanities and Education, Embassy of India in Venezuela, Research Group on African and Asian Studies, and Latin American Association for African and Asian Studies-Venezuelan Chapter.
November 21 to 23, 2001: Paper “Conclusions on Racism and Terrorism.” National Seminar “Racism and Terrorism: ¿Dialectics of Globalization? Center for African and Asian Studies (CEAA)-ULA, Digecex-ULA and IDAC. Mérida, Venezuela.
May 22-23, 2003: Paper “The ziggurat and the mandala: the ancient, the middle and the new tradition in the Enuma Elish.” Forum “Iraq: Ten Thousand Years of Cultures.” Mérida, Venezuela: University of The Andes, Faculty of Humanities and Education, School of History, Department of Universal history, Research Group on Ancient and Medieval History (GIESHAM).
April 25 through July 20, 2003: Paper “Human Rights, Gandhian Thought and Conditions for a Supra-Human Society.” 1st Degree on Communitarian Defense of Human Rights. Mérida, Venezuela: University of The Andes, Faculty of Humanities and Education, School of History, Center for Studies on Africa and Asia, in collaboration with Project Genesis 2000 and Foundation Dr. Keshawa Bhat.
May-June 2005: Paper “Toward a Genuine Respect of Cultural Diversity: Deconstruction of Derrida’s Deconstruction and Overcoming of the ‘Différance’.” Seminar “South-South Dialogues: From Bandung to the Present Time.” In homage to the 50th anniversary of the Bandung Conference and the Universal Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (Resolution 57/249 of United Nations). University of The Andes, Faculty of Humanities and Education, Mérida, Venezuela.
March 31, 2006: In the framework of the Basic Course of Japanese Language (Level I) and Introduction to Japanese Culture taught by Prof. Keihiro Kiyota Tanaka from Seiseikou Institute, Kumamoto, Japan, and The University of The Andes (Fundaidiomas and professor-researchers of the CEAA). Lecture: “Shintoism.”
April 01, 2006: In the framework of the Basic Course of Japanese Language (Level I) and Introduction to Japanese Culture taught by Prof. Keihiro Kiyota Tanaka from Seiseikou Institute, Kumamoto, Japan, and The University of The Andes (Fundaidiomas and professor-researchers of the CEAA). Lecture: “Continental Influences on Japan: Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism.”
April 07, 2006: In the framework of the Basic Course of Japanese Language (Level I) and Introduction to Japanese Culture taught by Prof. Keihiro Kiyota Tanaka from Seiseikou Institute, Kumamoto, Japan, and The University of The Andes (Fundaidiomas and professor-researchers of the CEAA). Lecture: “Japanese Buddhist Schools.”
June 10, 2008. Lecture: Ecology, Philosophy, Psychology and Economics of Climatic Change. In the framework of the Seminary “Climatic Change: Toward a Global Colapse?” Merida, Venezuela, General Office of Culture and Extension, Faculty of Humanities and Education, School of History / Study Center for Africa and Asia, & Free Chair “India 21th Century.”
May 28, 2009: In the Forum “India and its Antiterrorist Struggle”, in the Framework of the XI Cultural Week of India (2009), organized by the Government of Merida State (Venezuela), the University of The Andes, and the Indian Embassy in Venezuela, lectured on: “Causas y génesis de las guerrillas y el terrorismo en la India” (“Causes and Genesis of Terrorism in India”). Place: Simon Bolivar Chair, Faculty of Humanities and Education, University of The Andes.

International Fora of Philosophy of Venezuela:

Presented in written form the paper "Toward Ecommunism" and participated in the debates in the II Foro Internacional de Filosofía de Venezuela (II International Forum of Philosophy of Venezuela). July 6 through 12, 2006, Caracas, Venezuela.
Participated in the debates in the III Foro Internacional de Filosofía de Venezuela (II International Forum of Philosophy of Venezuela), "Humanismo, Revolución y Socialismo: Hacia un socialismo de culturas humanizadoras." November 7 through 14, 2007, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
Read the paper "Alienación, Comunicación y Consumo: Retos del Socialismo del Siglo XXI" in the Regional section of the IV Foro Internacional de Filosofía de Venezuela (IV International Forum of Philosophy of Venezuela) in the town of Merida. July 8 through 16, 2008.

Television Interviews (International):

In the State’s TV channel of Costa Rica, SINART, Capriles was interviewed by Dr. Álvaro Montero Mejía for his regular program, "Diagnóstico," which was broadcasted in November 2005 (and which then was repeatedly broadcasted by TV-ULA in Mérida, Venezuela).