[Buddha-l] bodhi

[Dan Lusthaus]

Artur,

> If one obtains something (my Oxford Polish-English Dictionary tells me) ,
> one is mainly getting what was given or offered (degree, visa, permission,
> information, votes, money, prize, etc.)

Pace the Oxford Dictionary, "obtain", as I understand English, simply means 
"to get". It needn't be a gift or something received from another. Do 
whatever you have to to make that clear in Polish.

The dictionaries here say things like:

verb:  come into possession of ("How did you obtain the visa?")
verb:  be valid, applicable, or true

(The latter is typical philosospeak: To say "X obtains" means that X is a 
valid conclusion drawn from the argument. Sanskrit philosospeak uses a 
counterpart to "obtains" for this sense.)

For more meanings of "obtain" follow the links at
http://www.onelook.com/?w=obtain&ls=a

cheers,
Dan