Taoism was the earliest philosophy, anywhere in the Oikoumene, to surmise that Man, in achieving civilization, might have compromised his position in the Universe by putting himself out of harmony with the spirit of the ultimate reality in which Man lives and moves and has his being.
—Arnold Toynbee
古老智慧核心概念是Qi（Ki）气 = energy
Confucius:
“The world is not what we try to explore. The world should be what we learn how to merge and exchange with it, so that we can benefit each other and enhance our power and life.”
Zhuangzi：
“The whole world and the cosmos are nothing but qi—that’s all.”
Xin 心 heart mind
Mind： movement of Ki
True heart: still and quite ki
Self Xin: “In Emptiness the supernatural exist.”
The essence of Daoism and Buddhism is to follow the Natural Law. (天道）
Xing 性 the core of Jing, qi, and shen
当精，气，神和谐共处时，我们显露自己的真性，这也是特斯拉发现新商机，达芬奇创作的源泉，爱因斯坦的灵感的源泉。
人能离自己的真性有多近取决于自己的主观努力self effort。从小听到大的天道酬勤就是这个意思。与后传入我国的佛教不同，土生土长的道家并不是一门宗教。而是一种方式，通过饮食，运动，打坐，草药等自然的方式获得身心灵的和谐，充满觉知地生活工作。而且道家主张有才华的人去竭力改变命运。
人与人之间最大的差别在于Xin，类似ego的小我。现代人最大的挑战在于如何每天抽出30分钟关照自己的内心，离开分繁杂扰，与环境和谐成为一体。
