Maybe a bhudist thing, or derivation of it?
I believe the Chinese “Mandate from Heaven” concept did have it roots in religious belief. If there was a destructive flood in China, that was evidence that heaven was unhappy with the current emperor. The emperor lost his Mandate from Heaven, and could be deposed.
But today the phrase can have a more generic meaning, and no longer must refer to heavenly activity. It’s more like “I’ve got this power, and I deserve to have this power.”