When we do workouts, we know that it will be a strain; lifting weights isn't relaxing. But we also know that workouts will make us fitter and stronger. So we persevere in the workouts in spite of the strain.
The basic principle of workout applies to mantra meditation, but at the mental level. During mantra meditation, we are essentially doing a workout for the mind. The mind that is habituated to the small and big issues of life is confronted with the biggest of all issues: God himself, Krishna manifesting as his holy names. Just as our muscles grow by lifting big weights, our mind grows by thinking big thoughts. And the biggest of all thoughts is thought about Krishna, for he is the biggest of all things and beings. Just as we need to exert ourselves to lift big weights, we also need to exert ourselves to fix our thoughts on Krishna, to metaphorically speaking, lift Krishna with our mental muscles.
Because the mind can’t stay inactive; it has to think of something. When during chanting it doesn't get to think of Krishna as we haven’t invoked his presence, it starts thinking about hundreds of other things. It may fantasize about plans that need to be executed. Or it may fret over tensions that need to be resolved. Or it may just fool around in the trivialities of routine life – who spoke what gossip about whom, for example.
If we don’t want our mantra meditation to become either a boredom or a burden, we need to conscientiously remember the centrality of invoking and experiencing Krishna’s presence for the mental workout. When we diligently try to call out to Krishna and thus invoke his presence, chanting will become interesting, thereby freeing us from the negative feelings of boredom and burden. And when Krishna reciprocates according to his sweet will and manifests his all-attractive presence to us, chanting will become absorbing, thereby making us peaceful and joyful.
