From Pearls of Wisdom – A Questions and Answer Anthology

Question: What is the destination of a person who practices devotion on an individual basis and is not part of an institution but takes guidance regarding sādhana from genuine sādhūs?

Answer: When Kṛṣṇa played on His flute on full moon nights, the gopīs ran to meet Him. They did not go in groups but went individually. It said that only their dangling earrings were their guides, java-lola-kuṇdalaḥ. The implication is that bhakti or love is not a group dharma. Love is not dependent upon being a part of an institution or group.