seeker242 wrote:
What are the mental qualities that are the "lack of food"? In other words, what specifically do you direct your attention towards?
To be specific about the question, this is usually doubt about the doctrine. The fetter of doubt is eliminated at the first stage of holiness, stream winning. It is so done through the factor of investigation of life events put into the context of dhamma principles, which is really the application of mindfulness. That is to say that doubt is removed by verifying the truth of the dhamma in personal experience.
""He/she is endowed with verified confidence in the Dhamma: 'The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One, to be seen here & now, timeless, inviting verification, pertinent, to be realized by the wise for themselves."---SN 55.1
"The feeding process is especially direct with analysis of qualities as a factor for Awakening — a near equivalent of appropriate attention — and the hindrance of uncertainty. These two form a pair, in that the feeding of analysis of qualities as a factor for Awakening in and of itself starves the hindrance of uncertainty, and vice versa. Appropriate attention to the effects of skillful and unskillful qualities in the mind — in other words, focusing on questions that identify such qualities as the hindrances and the factors for Awakening, and inquire into their causes and effects — not only feeds this factor for Awakening but also enables one to develop its fellow factors. Inappropriate attention to issues that excite uncertainty — asking questions that can lead only to doubt and perplexity — not only feeds the hindrance of uncertainty but also leads to a sense of confusion that prevents all the factors for Awakening from developing."---
'The Seven Factors for Awakening', Thanissaro Bikkhu.