Martin Heidegger is the philosopher of Being. We find him consistently dealing with this topic in his works. Both, in the early and later phases of his thought, his main concern was the meaning of Being. In his early thought, he studied the meaning of Being by attempting a Dasein-analysis believing that he could understand Being by clarifying the reality of Dasein. When this approach by Dasein to Being foundered, he then undertook an approach from Being to Dasein, with the help of which he succeeded in experiencing Being. In both phases of Heidegger’s thought, it is Dasein who experiences Being, as the manifestation of Being can only be discovered by Dasein. This discovery of Being is Dasein’s path to total authentic personhood. Thus, for Heidegger, Dasein’s experience of Being is the ultimate goal of his existence. This book, entitled The Experience of Being: as Goal of Human Existence, attempts to elaborate the theme of Dasein’s experience of Being, thereby attaining his total authenticity. My interest in the philosophy of Martin Heidegger led me to work on his philosophy for my Ph.D. program, which I completed at the University of Madras, under the guidance of Dr. Ignatius Vyagappa, Ph.D. The thesis, entitled From Being-in-the-World to Being-toward Being: Martin Heidegger’s Philosophy of the Authentic Human Person, was published by SAC Publication, Nagpur, in 1996. Then, encouraged and supported by Dr. George F. McLean, Ph.D., professor emeritus of Philosophy, The Catholic University of America, Washington D.C., I undertook a comparative study of Shankara and Heidegger entitled The Authentic Human Destiny: the Paths of Shankara and Heidegger, which was published by the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, Washington D.C., in 1998.

Now having completed the present project, I remember with gratitude those people who have helped me in my effort to bring out this volume. In a special way I acknowledge the encouragement, assistance and the suggestions I have received from Professor George F. McLean, Ph.D., in developing this work. I remember with gratitude Reverend Fr. Roc Gerald Majella, SAC, and Brother Thomas P. Mathew, who helped in the preparation of the manuscript. I sincerely acknowledge the Rector and the staff of Pallotti Institute of Philosophy and Religion, Goa, India, for allowing me to use the library and the computer facilities of the Institute and express my sincere thanks to the Pallottine community in India for their concern and support.