Charles Wyrick, or Uncle Chuck as he was affectionately known to many Sahaja Yogis, was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 20, 1939. He held several positions in his life, including that of managing a musical instruments store, but his favorite job was that of teaching music.
He received his Self-realization together with his wife Brenda in 1989 during Shri Mataji’s visit to Cincinnati and they soon became an integral part of the Cincinnati group, the largest Sahaja Yoga collective in the Midwest at that time. He and his wife spent many happy years in Cincinnati before moving to the Dallas area in 2010 to join their son and his family after their grandson was born. They single-handedly started Sahaja Yoga meetings in the community where they lived in Frisco, a Northern suburb of Dallas, where many senior citizens received their Realization and learned how to meditate, creating in due time a closely knit group who enjoyed the blessings of Sahaja Yoga and the collective enjoyment that these meetings offered. The meetings were highly praised by both attendees and the management of the community.
Chuck Wyrick was an avid listener and lover of music and a passionate trumpet player. He played in orchestras in both Cincinnati and Frisco and above all loved to play Sahaj bhajans at pujas. Adding trumpet to the traditional Indian instruments created a unique, striking combination of sounds that evoked a unique emotion, a devotion that could be immediately felt in the trumpet notes.
He passed away peacefully on July 8th, 2016 in Frisco, Texas, at the age of 78. He will always be remembered and missed in both the Cincinnati and Dallas collectives which had much to gain by his presence, his always kind, friendly and gentle demeanor, and his music that carried everyone above their Sahasrara.
Here are some stories and comments about him from other Sahaja Yogis:
“First meetings
At the Raymond Walters programs in Cincinnati, we would come on Fridays and we would leave. At first, no one said hi or talked, but seeing you and Brenda there gave me a sense of security that this Sahaj thing couldn’t be too far out there, especially if this nice middle-aged couple was doing it. Years later, you both continued to provide that sense of security in Sahaj to others in the public and to newcomers in particular. In short, you add credibility to Sahaj by your presence. Even my mom felt good about me and my path from meeting you both. Thanks for that!
First connection
We talked casually a lot, but it seems to me that the first smile and laughter came at a Wednesday night program when we tried to learn Tere Hi Guna Gata Hai. It seemed like something that had nothing to do with meditation. Those words were soooo long. We laughed at how none of us could pronounce them. Yet we did it week after week and years later we found out we could sing. How many bhajans we have sang together since then in how many settings and with how many wonderful people from around the world! How nice it was to enjoy your accompaniment on the trumpet! Thanks for that!
Early conversations
Chatting before or after meditation, I remember various topics but mostly hearing about your job teaching the band and how we all hoped you would get away from it soon. You didn’t seem happy about it at the time. In fact, you were a little sour in general about many things. Too many silly or warped students, I guess. But you lit up when you announced your retirement and I remember how happy we were for you and how happy you were to start your small business selling to high school bands. It was a new and fresh chapter for you, and we got to witness one of life’s milestones taking place. Thanks for sharing that!
Your transformation
If I said you were a little sour above, I probably could have said angry. You didn’t scream or get mad, but you just didn’t smile or joke around. Not sure when it changed exactly but I definitely remember the event that officially recognized it. In was 1993 in Los Angeles after Mother’s public program which was one of the best and funniest I have heard. She walked out of the program through the crowd down the center isle and stopped right by you and said: “You’re not angry anymore”. It was transformative. We were amazed and laughed after that. I couldn’t think of a happier guy who came to make the goofiest and best jokes at all the right times. It is hard to keep up with your wit but oh how many times the collective enjoyed a good groan of laughter from you. I never saw that from you in the early days. It’s truly due to Sahaj I think. Thanks for that!
Interacting with you and Jim (Thomas) and the guys
How nice it was to play a round of golf with you and Jim or go to a movie or watch sports on TV or just to talk …. And boy could we talk – for the longest time. These were the normal things that make life seem well normal. But they do more than that, they form a web of protection that lock us into innocence and create a sense of community and family. How I loved just talking with you about anything and everything. Thanks for that!
Music Hall
We shared a love of the symphony and attended many concerts together. It was nice to become a little more educated about what I listened to by talking with you. The first time we went together was to the May Festival in the early 1990’s when Kathleen Battle appeared. There was a group of us who went to dinner first at Washington Platform and then heard a masterful performance. What a fun collective night that was. How many times we went back. I think the last might have been to hear the Planets. Thanks to you, we too became subscribers. I can honestly say outside of Sahaj some of my most powerful moments have been tied to the arts or at Music Hall and how I felt after various performances. What a gift music is and has been for all of us. You’ve helped point that out to me and to many folks in life. Thanks for that!
Your photography
I think you snapped the best and only picture I have of Mother in Cincinnati in 1992 at the airport. She looked so beautiful. That aside, we still have the photo of Fountain Square hanging on our wall which was the picture we pasted into cards and decorated and sent to collectives around the world for Christmas of 1992. We lived in the ashram and yogis would come over and work together on it at different times. It was such a joyous collective project. I remember the folks from the ashram going downtown with you to take it. How nice all your photos were, but this one is a constant reminder. Thanks for that!
Yuri
You saw me off at the airport when I moved to Russia. I had to do a crazy repack at the airport in order to get on the plane. And you saw me when I returned with my family years later. You made both of them feel loved and welcomed, but you really played the Uncle role so well with my stepson Yuri. He loved to talk, and talk, and talk and you accommodated and listened and enjoyed. You and Jim and Tom were favorite uncles and he had such respect for you. It always made me feel so good to see your interaction with him. You helped guide him through his formative years in America. Thanks for that!
Visits to DFW
It’s true you moved away a few years back, but I was lucky enough to visit you 3 or 4 times in Dallas when I was in town for business trips. How I enjoyed catching up with you and long conversations over dinner at a restaurant or lunch in your kitchen that Brenda made. She’s such a good cook and an incredible Lakshmi. You’ve been blessed by her presence and are such a lucky man. What a couple you make and how happy I’ve been to interact with you both, whether here or in Cincinnati. Thanks for that!
Being part of the collective
Chuck, I think most importantly we have shared being a part of the foundation of a new movement – our Mother’s contribution to the world, the gift of Sahaja Yoga. Year in and year out, we soldiered on. We became the bedrock posts for stability that Shri Mataji’s teachings could anchor around. Beyond our own lives, we have been there for other people who were seeking their own transformative experiences. Each of our presence has given credibility and made people feel comfortable enough to try it and to even continue with it. In this life, we can’t fully know the true value that has played. But we have been soldiers and there is only glory in that. Thank you for making it easier for me to be in the collective, to stay around, to pass through many situations where knowing that you were there gave me the strength to continue myself. It has paid off handsomely in the ability to enjoy the rich rewards of brotherly love. Thanks for that!
Chuck, in short, you are the kind of person whom people love and respect and want to stand up and profess their affection for. We do love you – all of us in the Cincinnati collective. May God Bless you and may you enjoy the love of our Divine Mother forever and ever. Amen.”
— Jack K.