Feast of thousands of lamps (Zula-Khural)

Zula-Khural - the most important memorial day for the followers of Buddhism. In the 25th day of the tenth month of the lunar calendar in datsans Russia and not only celebrate day of memory (passing into nirvana) Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), the bodhisattva Manjushri earthly incarnation, the founder of the Tibetan Gelug school. Followers of school today are Buddhists traditional Sangha of Russia, and many of the faithful throughout the world. Zula-Khural held for three days.

Tsongkhapa was acquainted with all Tibetan Buddhist traditions of his time, and received lineages transmitted in the major schools. His main source of inspiration was the Kadam school, the legacy of Atiśa. Tsongkhapa received two of the three main Kadampa lineages (the Lam-Rim lineage, and the oral guideline lineage) from the Nyingma Lama, Lhodrag Namka-gyeltsen; and the third main Kadampa lineage (the lineage of textual transmission) from the Kagyu teacher Lama Umapa.

Tsongkhapa’s teachings drew upon these Kadampa teachings of Atiśa, emphasizing the study of Vinaya, the Tripiṭaka, and the Shastras. Atiśa’s Lamrim inspired Tsongkhapa’s Lamrim Chenmo, which became a main text among his followers. He also practised and taught extensively the Vajrayana, and especially how to bring the Sutra and Tantra teachings together, wrote works that summarized the root teachings of the Buddhist philosophical schools, as well as commentaries on the Prātimokṣa, Prajnaparamita, Candrakirti’s Madhyamakavatara, logic, Pure Land and the Sarma tantras.

Tsongkhapa's first principal work, The Golden Garland of Eloquence (Wylie: legs bshad gser phreng) demonstrated a philosophical view in line with the Yogacara school and, as became one of his hallmarks, was more influenced by Indian authors than contemporary Tibetan sources. At this time his account of the Madhyamaka focused on its interpretation as a negative dialectic structure.

Almost as soon as Tsongkhapa's later works were published, they became highly influential, and have remained that way to present. However, opinion on whether or not his views are correct remain hotly debated. As Jinpa, Garfield and others point out, this controversy remains particularly active, and can be easily seen in modern published works.

Some of the greatest subsequent Tibetan scholars have become famous for their own works either defending or attacking Tsongkhapa's views. His critics deemed Tsongkhapa's ideas to be unacceptable innovations of his own, instead of following the established tradition. According to Thupten Jinpa, the Gelugpa school sees Tsongkhapa's ideas as mystical revelations from the bodhisattva Manjusri, whereas Gorampa accused him of being inspired by a demon.

On the day of memory Tsongkhapa it has made a special porridge, which is brewed from pieces of dough. At nightfall, in and around the temples and monasteries are lit thousands of oil gravelights ("Zula", hence the name of the holiday). In memory of the great teachers of the lamps burn until dawn, and if you imagine the Buddhist monasteries and temples in the night from the top, they seem wonderful, bright and warm appeal to the inhabitants of heaven of all time. During the celebration of Zula-Khural favorably to commit all kinds of beneficent actions: to impose the vows (including silence as a sign of reverence for the Buddha), make offerings to the Three Jewels, fast, make offerings to churches and monasteries.