Graphemes:
B – E – I – N – G
→ 5 graphemes (letters)
→ Pronounced: /ˈbiː.ɪŋ/ or /ˈbiːŋ/
→ The quiet, almost whispering simplicity of the word suits its depth and universality, encompassing all that is
Morphemes:
Being stems from two parts:
- be- (from Old English beon) = “to exist”
- -ing (gerund/participle suffix) = “the act or condition of”
→ Being = “the act of existing” or “the condition of existence”
In both everyday language and philosophy, being refers to that which exists or can exist, either as an entity, a state, or a mode of presence
Etymological Breakdown:
1. Old English: beon = “to be”
→ From Proto-Germanic beunan, related to Proto-Indo-European bheue- = “to grow, to be, to become”
2. Suffix: -ing
→ Old English -ing = action or process
→ So “being” is not just a noun, but also a process—it suggests presence unfolding
Philosophically, being evolved from a verb into a conceptual noun—the ground of all things that are.
Literal Meaning:
Being = “The state or condition of existing”
→ As noun:
• “Being” as entity: a creature, thing, or person
• “Being” as existence itself: the fact of is-ness
→ As gerund:
• “Being honest” = existing in the state of honesty
• “Being present” = actively existing in presence
Expanded Usage:
1. In Philosophy:
Ontology of Being:
- Being vs. non-being — Why is there something rather than nothing?
- Modes of being — Actual, possible, necessary, contingent
- Levels of being — Substance, attribute, relation, spirit, mind
Being in Major Traditions:
- Plato — Being is eternal, ideal, beyond change
- Aristotle — Being as substance, that which exists independently
- Heidegger — Being (Sein) is distinct from beings (Seiendes)—being is that which lets beings be
- Parmenides — Being is; non-being is not; change is illusion
2. As a Noun (Entity):
- A being — Any creature or existence (e.g., human being, sentient being)
- Supreme Being — A term for God or the absolute source of existence
- Living being — Organism with life processes
3. In Grammar and Language:
- Gerund form of “to be” — Used to express ongoing state or action
- Present participle — “He is being helpful”
- Noun of state — “The mystery of being”
4. In Spirituality and Mysticism:
- Pure being — The unconditioned presence of existence
- Beingness — The quality of simply existing, beyond identity or ego
- Presence — A lived awareness of being in the now
Related Words and Cognates:
| Word | Root Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Be | Old English beon | To exist, to be |
| Existence | Latin exsistere = “to stand forth” | The fact or condition of being real |
| Essence | Latin esse = “to be” | The intrinsic nature of a being |
| Entity | Latin ens = “that which is” | A thing with being |
| Ontology | Greek ontos = “being” | The study of what it means to be |
Metaphorical Insight:
Being is the breath beneath all form. It is not a thing, but the condition for things. It is what makes a stone a stone, a mind a mind, and a question possible. Being is the unspeakable “is” behind every sentence, the light behind appearance, the pulse of presence in both thought and matter. It is not the what or how, but the that—the most intimate and universal mystery: that this is.
Diagram: Being — From Essence to Presence
Old English: beon = “to be”; Proto-IE: *bheue-* = “to become, grow”
Graphemes: B - E - I - N - G
Morphemes: be- (exist) + -ing (state/process)
↓
+------------+
| Being |
+------------+
|
+------------------------+----------------------------+----------------------------+-----------------------------+------------------------------+
| | | | |
Existence Itself Philosophical Traditions Grammatical Function Spiritual/Experiential Use Symbolic Meaning
Is-ness, presence Plato, Aristotle, Heidegger Gerund/participle of “to be” Awareness, presence, beingness Ground of reality
| | | | |
What is, as such Substance, form, essence Ongoing condition Living presence Mirror of existence
Versus non-being Being vs. becoming State-of-being expressions Stillness beneath mind Mystery of “is”
Actuality and potentiality Modes and levels of being Being known, being true The now as being Precondition of all thought
Cosmic is-ness Onto-theology, existentialism Structural grammar Unbound beingness First articulation of reality