Shinrai was a monk of the Order of Courageous Reflection in the Shinden Yaruki Jukko at Otosan Uchi prior to the Scorpion Coup. In 1123 Shinrai alongside his fellow monk Yasoko claimed the statue of Shinsei had moved, causing much furor among their community. The movement had been seen in the statue's reflection in one of the mirrors the order used for meditation, but when they turned the sculpture was unchanged.