What does "The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions" mean?

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This discussion of Karma is interesting. My personal take is that Ra's view of Karma seems to be in line with the Karma Yoga described by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, which states (I'm paraphrasing here but this is in Chapter 3 of the BG if anyone is interested) that one cannot attain freedom from karma by abstaining from work and renouncing the physical, indeed it is impossible to abstain from action as all beings are constantly compelled to act due to to their qualities born of material nature (represented by the three gunas which, as an aside, some tarot scholars equate with the three creatures pictured on the Wheel of Fortune card). The key to liberation then is not to renounce the physical, but to devote your action in service to others, in accordance to one's inner knowing, with no attachment to outcome. This is seen as the path of liberation from karma and the key here is the detached state. Another dimension of this is the idea of Dharma and seeing work as an act of devotion or sacrifice to the Supreme (i.e. the One Infinite Creator).

To me this seems to match up with what Ra says about karma if you consider forgiveness as a way of achieving a state of acceptance and unattachment. It also seems to me to tie in to the concept of intent being related to karma. This idea of work being seen as an act of devotion also seems to line up with Ra's concept of honor/duty/responsibility.

There's a passage concerning the life of Abraham Lincoln that seems to illustrate this view:

35.8 Questioner: Well in that case I would like to know the motivation for this use of Abraham Lincoln’s body at that time?

Ra: I am Ra. This shall be the last full query of this session as we find the instrument quite low in vital energies.

The one known as Abraham had an extreme difficulty in many ways and, due to physical, mental, and spiritual pain, was weary of life but without the orientation to self-destruction. In your time, 1853, this entity was contacted in sleep by a fourth-density being. This being was concerned with the battle between the forces of light and the forces of darkness which have been waged in fourth density for many of your years.

This entity accepted the honor/duty of completing the one known as Abraham’s karmic patterns and the one known as Abraham discovered that this entity would attempt those things which the one known as Abraham desired to do but felt it could not. Thus the exchange was made.

The entity, Abraham, was taken to a plane of suspension until the cessation of its physical vehicle much as though we of Ra would arrange with this instrument to remain in the vehicle, come out of the trance state, and function as this instrument, leaving this instrument’s mind and spirit complex in its suspended state.

The planetary energies at this time were at what seemed to this entity to be at a critical point, for that which you know as freedom had gained in acceptance as a possibility among many peoples. This entity saw the work done by those beginning the democratic concept of freedom, as you call it, in danger of being abridged or abrogated by the rising belief and use of the principle of the enslavement of entities. This is a negative concept of a fairly serious nature in your density. This entity, therefore, went forward into what it saw as the battle for the light, for healing of a rupture in the concept of freedom.

This entity did not gain or lose karma by these activities due to its detachment from any outcome. Its attitude throughout was one of service to others, more especially to the downtrodden or enslaved. The polarity of the individual was somewhat, but not severely, lessened by the cumulative feelings and thought-forms which were created due to large numbers of entities leaving the physical plane due to trauma of battle.

May we ask if this is the information you requested or if we may supply any further information?

I believe Ra's continued involvement here is related to this concept of honor/duty/responsibility rather than karmic bonds. They are here to serve as they feel that is the best use of their service.

23.10 Questioner: Thank you. Then as an overall success, what can you tell me about the relative success of the pyramid in any way at all? I understand that it was— the pyramids for the purpose were basically unsuccessful in that they didn’t produce the rise in consciousness that you’d hoped for, but there must have been some success. Can you tell me of that?

Ra: I am Ra. We ask you to remember that we are of the Brothers and Sisters of Sorrow. When one has been rescued from that sorrow to a vision of the One Creator, then there is no concept of failure.

Our difficulty lay in the honor/responsibility of correcting the distortions of the Law of One which occurred during our attempts to aid these entities. The distortions are seen as responsibilities rather than failures; the few who were inspired to seek, our only reason for the attempt.

Thus, we would perhaps be in the position of paradox in that as one saw an illumination, we were what you call successful, and as others became more sorrowful and confused, we were failures. These are your terms. We persist in seeking to serve.

The way a wanderer would become karmically involved is laid out in session 12:

12.28 Questioner: Are most of these from the fourth density? What density do they come from?

Ra: I am Ra. Few there are of fourth density. The largest number of Wanderers, as you call them, are of the sixth density. The desire to serve must be distorted towards a great deal of purity of mind and what you may call foolhardiness or bravery, depending upon your distortion complex judgment. The challenge/danger of the Wanderer is that it will forget its mission, become karmically involved, and thus be swept into the maelstrom from which it had incarnated to aid the destruction.

12.29 Questioner: What could one of these entities do to become karmically involved? Could you give us an example?

Ra: I am Ra. An entity which acts in a consciously unloving manner in action with other beings can become karmically involved.

This seems to also point to intention being related to karma, as the wanderer must act in a consciously unloving manner.

This is all just my interpretation of things, no doubt there are flaws in my understanding but I felt it to be worth sharing. I also don't wish to use quotes from the Ra material as gospel, I just find them useful in explicating my philosophical views.