Five faults and eight antidotes


The five faults and eight antidotes are factors of samatha meditation identified in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The five faults identify obstacles to meditation practice, and the eight antidotes are applied to overcome the five faults. This system originates with Maitreyanātha's Madhyānta-vibhāga and is elaborated upon in further texts, such as Kamalaśīla's Stages of Meditation. This formulation has been commented upon by generations of Tibetan commentators. This formulation derives originally from the Yogācāra tradition.

The five faults

The five faults of shamatha meditation according to the textual tradition of Tibetan Buddhism are:
  1. Laziness
  2. Forgetting the instruction
  3. Agitation and dullness
  4. Non-application
  5. Over-application

Laziness

Laziness "prevents the application of meditation because one doesn't even begin after receiving instructions in meditation."
Sakyong Mipham explains:
There are three types of laziness:
  1. Laziness of not wanting to do anything
  2. Laziness of discouragement
  3. Laziness of being busy with worldly things.

Forgetting the instructions

Forgetting the instructions means a lack of mindfulness on how to do meditation properly.
Sakyong Mipham explains:

Agitation and dullness (too tight and too loose)

These two factors, agitation and dullness, are classified as a single fault. Sakyong Mipham describes these factors as "too tight" and "too loose."

Agitation

The Sanskrit term auddhatya is translated as:
  • Agitation
  • Elation
  • Ebullience
  • Excitation
  • Excitement
  • Flightiness of mind
  • Mental flightiness
  • Too tight
Kenchen Thrangu Rinpoche states: "There are two kinds of agitation. There is an obvious kind in which one keeps thinking about what one has done or what fun one has had, so one is unable to rest the mind upon anything. In its subtle form one has apparent stability of mind, but there are still subtle thoughts that keep coming up."

Dullness

The Sanskrit term laya is translated as:
  • Dullness
  • Drowsiness
  • Laxity
  • Mental dullness
  • Sinking
  • Stupor
  • Too loose
Kenchen Thrangu Rinpoche states: "In stupor the mind is cloudy and dull. In its obvious form there is a loss of clarity of mind. In its subtle form there is some clarity, but it is very weak."
Laxity may be coarse or subtle. Lethargy is often also present, but is said to be less common.

Non-application

Non-application means not applying the antidotes. Kenchen Thrangu states that non-application "occurs when dullness or agitation appear in one's meditation and one recognizes these thoughts, but doesn't apply a remedy. If one does not apply the remedy, meditation will not develop."

Over-application

Over-application means that meditator does not stop applying the antidotes even when they are no longer necessary. Kenchen Thrangu explains:

The eight antidotes

The eight antidotes or applications to the five faults of meditation are:
  • Antidotes to laziness:
  • Antidote to forgetting the instructions:
  • Antidote to agitation and dullness
  • Antidote to non-application
  • Antidote to overapplication

Antidotes to laziness

The four antidotes to laziness are belief, aspiration, effort, and suppleness. These four antidotes are not always presented in the same order. For example, the antidotes are presented by the following commentators in the order shown :
  • Alexander Berzin: belief in a fact; intention; joyful perseverance; a sense of fitness
  • Kenchen Thrangu: aspiration; zeal; faith; well trained.
  • Sakyong Mipham: suppleness; trust; aspiration; effort.
  • Traleg Kyabgon: conviction; inclination; vigor; pliancy of body and mind.

Belief

Belief is one of four antidotes to laziness.
The Sanskrit term śraddhā is translated as:
Sakyong Mipham states:
Kenchen Thrangu states that although śraddhā is similar to the antidote of aspiration, aspiration means that one has something to aspire to, while faith means a belief in something very valuable.
Traleg Kyabgon states: "Conviction can develop only if we are convinced of the benefits of meditation and the harm that conflicting emotions cause in a distracted confused mind."
Traditionally, it is said that belief can be developed by contemplating the faults of distraction.

Aspiration

Aspiration is one of four antidotes to laziness.
The Sanskrit term chanda is translated as:
  • Aspiration
  • Inclination
  • Intention
  • Interest
Sakyong Mipham states:
Kenchen Thrangu explains:

Effort

Effort is one of four antidotes to laziness.
The Sanskrit term vyayama is translated as follows:
  • Effort
  • Exertion
  • Joyful perseverance
  • Vigor
  • Zeal
Kenchen Thrangu states: "If one has interest and motivation to practice, then one doesn't have to force oneself to practice meditation; there will be a natural zeal to practice."

Suppleness

Suppleness is one of four antidotes to laziness.
The Sanskrit term praśrabdhi is translated as:
  • Flexible
  • Pliancy of body and mind
  • Sense of fitness
  • Supple
  • Suppleness
  • Well trained
Kenchen Thrangu states:

Antidote to forgetting the instructions

Mindfulness

The antidote to forgetting the instructions is mindfulness.
Sakyong Mipham states:
Kenchen Thrangu states:

Antidote to agitation and dullness

Awareness

The antidote to agitation and dullness is awareness.
Sakyong Mipham states:

Antidote to non-application

The antidote to non-application is identified as either of the following mental factors:
  • application, or
  • attention
Kenchen Thrangu states:

Antidote to over-application

The antidote to over-application is identified as either:
  • non-application, or
  • equanimity
Kenchen Thrangu states:

Relation to the nine mental abidings

According to Geshe Gedun Lodro, whoever cultivates the nine mental abidings overcomes the five faults through the eight antidotes, and, conversely, whoever overcomes the five faults through the eight antidotes likewise cultivates the nine mental abidings.
The Dalai Lama states: "Through applying the eight antidotes the five faults are gradually eliminated, and one passes through nine stages of concentration."

Relation to the five hindrances

The five hindrances to concentration is another list of obstacles to meditation that is presented in both the Pali texts and the Mahayana texts. The system of the five faults and eight antidotes is presented only in certain Mahayana texts. Thubten Chodron states: