What is 'be-ing' according to Heidegger, and why is it so important to distinguish it from 'being' in *Mindfulness*?

In Martin Heidegger's Mindfulness, 'be-ing' (Seyn) represents a fundamental concept distinct from 'being' (Sein), marking a critical shift from metaphysical to being-historical thinking. This distinction is not merely orthographic but signifies a profound difference in how we understand existence and our relationship to it. Heidegger uses 'be-ing' to denote the historical enowning that initiates a way of thinking no longer rooted in metaphysics.

The importance of differentiating 'be-ing' from 'being' lies in overcoming the traditional metaphysical focus on beings and their beingness. Metaphysics, according to Heidegger, primarily concerns itself with "What are beings?" leading to an understanding of being as the beingness of beings. In contrast, the being-historical question asks, "How does be-ing sway?" This shift emphasizes the dynamic and enowning nature of 'be-ing' rather than a static essence. As the text states, "parallel to the differentiation between the metaphysical question of being and the being-historical question of be-ing is the differentiation between being (Sein) and be-ing (Seyn)."

Heidegger argues that 'be-ing' is what historically enowns thinking, initiating a mode of thought that complements rather than opposes metaphysical thinking. The translators note that the differentiation "is just that: a differentiation and not an opposition." This highlights that 'be-ing' is not meant to negate 'being' but to offer a more originary understanding of existence as enowning.

Furthermore, 'be-ing' is closely tied to the concept of Da-sein, the unique human way of being that serves as the ground and site for the truth of 'be-ing'. It is through Da-sein that the clearing of 'be-ing' comes to pass, allowing for the countering of god and man and the strife of earth and world. Thus, the distinction between 'being' and 'be-ing' is crucial for grasping Heidegger's project of moving beyond metaphysics to a more fundamental understanding of existence as a dynamic, historical process of enowning.