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" ("Bhāvanākrama"). 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 (Sanskrit: "ādīnava"; Tibetan: "nyes-dmigs") of shamatha meditation according to the textual tradition of Tibetan Buddhism are:
Laziness.
Laziness ("kausīdya") "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:
Forgetting the instructions.
Forgetting the instructions ("avavādasammosa") 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 ("auddhatya") and dullness ("laya"), 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: 
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: 
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 ("audārika, rags-pa") or subtle ("sūksma, phra-mo"). Lethargy ("styāna, rmugs-pa") is often also present, but is said to be less common.
Non-application.
Non-application ("anabhisamskāra") 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 ("abhisamskāra") 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 (Sanskrit: "pratipakṣa"; Tibetan: "gnyen-po") or applications (Sanskrit: "abhisamskāra"; Tibetan: " ’du-byed pa") to the five faults of meditation are:
Antidotes to laziness.
The four antidotes to laziness are belief ("śraddhā"), aspiration ("chanda"), effort ("vyayama"), and suppleness ("praśrabdhi"). 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 (and using the translations of the commentator):
Belief.
Belief ("śraddhā") 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 ("vikṣepa, rnam-par gyen-ba").
Aspiration.
Aspiration ("chanda") is one of four antidotes to laziness.
The Sanskrit term "chanda" is translated as:
Sakyong Mipham states:
Kenchen Thrangu explains:
Effort.
Effort ("vyayama") is one of four antidotes to laziness.
The Sanskrit term "vyayama" is translated as follows:
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 ("praśrabdhi") is one of four antidotes to laziness.
The Sanskrit term "praśrabdhi" is translated as:
Kenchen Thrangu states:
Antidote to forgetting the instructions.
Mindfulness.
The antidote to forgetting the instructions is mindfulness ("smṛti").
Sakyong Mipham states:
Kenchen Thrangu states:
Antidote to agitation and dullness.
Awareness.
The antidote to agitation and dullness is awareness ("samprajaña, shes-bzhin").
Sakyong Mipham states:
Antidote to non-application.
The antidote to "non-application" is identified as either of the following mental factors:
Kenchen Thrangu states:
Antidote to over-application.
The antidote to "over-application" is identified as either:
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: