On The Way To Poetic Dwelling

This paper has an multi-dimensional interpretation on Heidegger's poetic thinking because of the current problems anxious to us in modern times. Starting from Holderlin's poem"human beings dwelling on the earth in a poetic way", Heidegger makes a diagnosis for the problems that metaphysics has sheltered the significance of being, that science and technology, as controlling power, have rooted out the foundation of human survival and that gods have retreated from the mess brought about by modernity, and as a result, people at present fall into the abyss of nothingness. This is times in spiritual poverty. Based on the reflection on the current problems, Heidegger makes a dialogue between thinking and poetry with Holderlin in order to open out a state of clearing, and finds the way to the original home for mankind.Roaming on the Forest Roads of thought, Heidegger leaves different landmarks in his poetic thinking. There are three stages in his poetic thinking development: In early stage he tries to open the state of being starting from the questioning of human-beings'existence; In turning stage he has the truth of being shown through arts and poetry; In later stage he turns to language to integrate heaven, earth, gods and men for the seek of poetic salvation. Heidegger's poetic thinking is guided by both visible clue and in visible clue. The order of time is visible while Heidegger's inner thinking development is invisible. This paper argues that Heidegger's poetic thinking undergoes from truth, arts, language, divinity to freedom when the deepening process of development is revealed, the landmarks on the way to poetic dwelling become clear.This paper probes Heidegger's ideas on truth, arts, language, divinity and freedom in a progressive dimension. His thinking development at different stages is in logical consistency. His ideas on truth is a starting point, since questioning the truth of being from human beings is inaccessible, Heidegger makes a change by having the truth of being shown automatically. But how can the truth of being show to human being? After turning period Heidegger spares no effort in exploring the relationship among art works, artists and arts in order to have the truth of being reach human beings from top to bottom. As a channel for truth to happen, arts provide the possibility for the truth of being to come down to human beings, but it alone is not enough. The final media Heidegger finds to communicate from top to bottom is language.Language is the operation of Tao, according to Heidegger, the truth of being is delivered from the Divine to the mortal through gods, the poet and the thinker. Language, as a silent speech, conveys the hints from the Divine. When the mortal measure themselves by the norm of the divine, they are able to hear what the divide says and then the gathering-together of the heaven, the earth, gods and human beings comes into being. Once human beings encounter gods directly, the divine glory drives away the anxiety of death for human beings, human beings can go beyond their limitations towards unlimited freedom, Heidegger's poetic thinking can be traced as followed in details:The first aspect focuses on his ideas on truth. Heidegger reveals the state without shelter. Truth, as a state without shelter, enables human beings to be closer to the origin of being, and live as they should do. At the very beginning, Heidegger questions the hidden being by analyzing the characteristics of human beings because being constitutes the basis of human being's survival. Later, Heidegger defines truth as freedom, the relationship between truth and freedom presents the relationship between being and human being. At last, Heidegger adds clearing state to the meaning of truth. Clearing, as the state without shelter, is the premise that truth happens. Clearing state of being is the greatest crystal state, if human beings enter the state, he will live a poetic life on the earth.The second stage focuses on his ideas on arts. Heidegger probes the relationship between objects and artworks, arts and truth. He reveals the nature of art in the connection of art and truth. From Holderlin's poetry, Heidegger finds the channel by which truth can happen, they are arts and poetry. The nature of arts lies in that truth lays itself into the art works automatically. In this times without poetry, the holy responsibility of a poet is to return home. Poets are the only people who can hear the call of the origin and find the home for the lost mankind. Human beings must learn to think in a poetic way, because arts and poetry can bring the divine characteristics back to life. Under the shelter of the divine, human beings may keep sustainable foundation for survival.The third stage focuses on Heidegger's ideas on language; he thinks that language is the home both for being and human beings, the poet and the thinker are keepers of the home. Language and being come from the same origin, the truth of being can reveal itself only through the media of language. Taoism saying is the silent roaring. Language, as a way of Tao's operation, makes being come into existence. Human beings belong to Tao of existence, and are able to hear the call of being, though Tao only delivers silent sound. In this case, human beings, in the gathering of heaven, earth and gods, can dwell poetically in the world.The fourth stage focuses on Heidegger's ideas on the divine. He thinks that the divine is leading to a transcendent dimension, human beings only under the measure of the divine, can evaluate his existence between the sky and the ground. In exploring this road of his poetic thinking development, Heidegger takes the divine as his guide. Although human beings are burdened with hard labor from cradle to grave, he should look up into the sky for the divine glory. The nearer to the divine, the more poetic is human life. Poem writing and all poetry creating activities are all adoption to the divine measure. In Heidegger's sense, the divine is the being which is sheltered, is the being which is invisible.The fifth stage focuses on Heidegger's ideas of freedom. He thinks that the clearing state leading to freedom enables human beings to live a poetic life. A poetic dwelling is characterized by freedom and state without shelter flowing out from the origin of home. At the very beginning Heidegger regards freedom as transcending of human being into the world. Later, he defines freedom as the nature of truth. Finally he introduces clearing state into this poetic thinking, clearing opens out a realm where truth may happen. Freedom is to let be, let objects be as they are and let men be as they are .In Heidegger sense, freedom deepens its root into the foundation of human survival, it shows an attitude of being casual and open-minded.The construction of this paper is based on the inner logic of Heidegger's poetic thinking in order to clarify his complicated ideas. Heidegger's poetic thinking at present times has something vital to do with the urgent problems we are facing. Heidegger's ideas inspire our concerns about our living state in order to build a path to common future for all men.Heidegger's poetic thinking has a great influence on modern scholars. Modern western scholars take two opposite grounds at his ideas. Some people approve of his ideas. Arendt thinks that Heidegger's ideas have shaped the spiritual outlook of the world. Biemel thinks that the works by Heidegger are like such a high mountain that we are unable to mount until now. Heidegger's ideas are like a ghost questioning the significance of being in the realm of modernity. Nobody can arrive at freedom without poetic attitude, so people in modern times need Heidegger. What we have discovered about his ideas is only a small part of an iceberg beyond the water surface. The other people hold a critical attitude to Heidegger's ideas. Post-modern scholars are concerned about Heidegger's later reflection on modernity, they approve that he has deconstructed traditional western metaphysics and modernity, but they criticize that Heidegger has not ended metaphysics completely; he still follows a hidden metaphysics of subjectivity.In Heidegger's later thinking, he is in favor of eastern ideas. He hopes to absorb some valuable sources fit for his from the viewpoints of Chinese culture, Heidegger has a natural tie with Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Taoists advocate that Tao follows the law of nature and pursues a state of freedom without restraints. Taoists put stress on spiritual or mental freedom. Buddhists watch on the nature of human beings and penetrate into the truth of life and the universe, they clarify their nature by knowing and practicing truth; Confucians put stress on moral practice and aim at the harmony of human beings and the universe. The natural way of Taoists, the neutral way of Confucians and harmonious way of Buddhists are all based on the understanding of the true nature. While in the west the natural power is understood as an external power in the form of the natural divine or a personified God in Christian sense. Later Heidegger tries to go beyond the western way of understanding for pursuit of eastern Tao, the eastern way is characterized by feeling the universe as a whole. It's still a pity that Heidegger is unable to eliminate the limitations of western metaphysics. Only in comparative perspective of east and west can we give a real interpretation of Heidegger's contributions and limitations.Heidegger's poetic thinking has a great impact on aesthetics ,literature, linguistics and arts. In his sense,aesthetics ,literature, linguistics and arts all have special meanings different greatly from those in common sense. Heidegger's poetic thinking opens a realm of interpreting human existence, his ideas come close to the origin of being through the channel of arts and poetry in order to eliminate technological shelter on human existence, thus men can make themselves at home. Poetic Salvation aims at keeping the foundation of human survival sustainable so that Tao and mankind can communicate freely. Although Heidegger's salvation plan doesn't put emphasis on practical society, his poetic thinking gives people in modern times an important inspiration that everyone must change his way of thinking and attitude to living. When human beings can follow Heidegger's instructions, the truth of being will happen to the mortal, they will enter the clearing state if freedom and realize poetic dwelling.