(Japanese) Yin and yang.
These are the cosmic dual forces of Heaven and Earth. The samurai of the 17th century used these principles along with Chinese Confucianism. The first two mantras and symbols in Mikao Usui’s early teachings are said to help the student become One with in and yô.
Hiroshi Doi wrote in his book Iyashino Gendai Reiki-ho that, ‘Usui-sensei gave his training based on the truth that heaven and earth’s nature makes humans greater.’
It is believed that Mikao Usui deliberately created a system that was unaligned to any specific religion. However, he naturally drew elements from his personal religious and energetic experiences to create the system. To develop a practice in this way was quite common in Japan. Some of his influences were Buddhism, Shintô, martial arts and Shugendô. The book Religions of Japan in Practice states, ‘Japanese religious practice drew from many sources, accommodating both the imported religion of Buddhism and the native Shintô tradition, while accepting Chinese yin-yang beliefs and other aspects of religious Taoism.’