Please avoid Religious Organizations

Lahiri Mahashaya

from ("Kriya Yoga exposed") : 

Although becoming a residential (or monastic) member of a spiritual organization might seem like a good idea at first, that can frequently come with less than positive consequences. 

You initial reasons for joining might be to live in an environment that's conducive for Self-Realization 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Ideally, this would be provided by the organization in exchange for your help in maintaining it and expanding its reach toward sincere seekers. The highest purpose of a genuine organization must be to help you become Free.

However, more than not, residential members can become enmeshed in bureaucracies, stipulations, and interpersonal conflicts and have less time for themselves, for their own spiritual practices, and for achieving their Freedom.

If the organization is actually being run by an ego-less Master, that is amazing and extremely helpful. Yet, when it is led and directed by the ego-mind (even if it's a subtle and polished ego), then it's just a matter of time until the organization's original motives become distorted (which usually happens a few years after the Master's body passes away).

This is why Lahiri Mahashaya was against forming organizations. They distract you from the practice and eventually, you end up worse than you would have been if you had remained by yourself.

My point of view is that it is the purpose of an organization that promotes itself as a took for Self-Realization to help all its residential members and provide fertile ground for their own deepening and Liberation. Obviously, one should not avoid or escape from one's responsibilities, but there must be enough care, attention, love, and openness so that each aspirant gets what he or she needs the most for his or her spiritual growth. The use of force, imposition and so on are not useful tools in a genuine spiritual organization (some Zen and Buddhist centers tend to exaggerate this concept).