HE Kyabje Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche began the second day of teachings on the The Ganges Mahāmudrā (Mahāmudrā Upadeśa) summarizing key aspects of the first afternoon session. Given their  importance, he re-emphasized the four characteristics of the student who  can be taught the profound instructions. These characteristics –  enduring hardship, guru devotion, bearing suffering, and intelligent  wisdom (prajña) – are key for any student who sincerely takes to heart  that Mahāmudrā cannot be shown. Using the analogy of moonlight hidden by  clouds, Rinpoche stressed that obscurations of thought also dissipate  from the mind illuminating the basic luminosity that is present in all  of us. In order to actually look at thought requires developing  certainty to rest in this inexpressible nature of mind. The student  should consider the nature of thought as an aid for practice in itself.  Rinpoche alluded to and quoted the ninth chapter on Wisdom from Shantideva’s Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra) in which it is stated that the antidote is meditation and analysis.  Through the practice of meditation, we can see that thoughts have no  basis. This is the self-liberation of thoughts and is akin to a knotted  snake uncoiling itself. However, fortitude is a necessity and we must  develop diligence to make our thoughts an aspect of our practice. Rinpoche then shifted to the next verse which he had previously  touched on in the first part of the afternoon session. Here, he  highlighted that mind and appearance are not two. As the verse states, The nature of space transcends color and shape, Neither stained nor changed by black or white. Likewise, the essence of your mind transcends color and shape, Unpolluted by black or white qualities, misdeeds or virtues. Milarepa, he noted, used the nature of space as the best analogy  since it transcends characteristics. Similarly, the essence of mind  transcends color and shape and is luminous in its nature. Drawing again  from Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra, Rinpoche noted that  this text stresses several steps in order to realize the nature of mind,  in particular cultivating bodhicitta. For example, when we develop the  qualities of the mind of enlightenment (bodhicitta), this encourages  excitement to engage in practice which necessitates confessing our  misdeeds leading to taking bodhisattva vows. When we enact these vows,  it requires maintaining awareness and using mindfulness which enables us  to rejoice in the luminous nature of our mind. We must apply the  antidote which is meditation and analysis. Most importantly, in this  precious human life we must not waste this opportunity of mind.