The Eight Antidotes

These are the Eight Antidotes (Pratipakṣa) to the Five Faults of meditation.

The antidotes to laziness are:
1) Faith (śraddhā): seeing the good qualities of meditative stabilisation.

2) Aspiration (chanda): seeking to attain those good qualities.

3) Effort (vyayama): delighting in engaging in meditative stabilisation.

4) Physical and mental pliancy (praśrabdhi): an effect (of effort).

The antidote to forgetfulness is:
5) Mindfulness: maintaining concentration on an object continuously.

The antidote to lethargy and excitement is:
6) Awareness: knowing that lethargy or excitement has arisen or is arising.

The antidote to non-application is:
7) Application: engaging in the antidotes to lethargy and excitement.

The antidote to over-application is:
8)   Desisting from application: relaxing one’s effort.