What is "middha"

Middha (Sanskrit, Pali; Tibetan phonetic: nyi) is a Buddhist term that is translated as "torpor", "drowsiness", "sleep", etc. In the Theravada tradition, middha is defined as a morbid state that is characterized by unwieldiness, lack of energy, and opposition to wholesome activity. In the Mahayana tradition, middha is defined as a mental factor that causes the mind to draw inward, lose discrimination between wholesome and unwholesome activities, and drop out of activities altogether.

Middha is identified as:

• One of the fourteen unwholesome mental factors within the Theravada Abhidharma teachings
• One of the four changeable mental factors within the Mahayana Abhidharma teachings
• One of the five hindrances to meditation (in combination with thīna)