Dear Ven. Dhammadarsa,

I think "egoistic" is about "self-centredness", "self-pride", "selfishness", "big ego". I do not dispute that ego may be addressed by the Buddha in the suttas, but the term "atta" is not just "ego".

"atta" may be used as a reflexive pronoun, such as "oneself", "myself", "ownself", etc.

"atta" may also be used by the Buddha to refer to contemporary beliefs of a permanent independent individualistic identity, such as a soul.

metta,
Yong Peng.

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Dhammadarsa wrote:

In modern terminology and reflecting on my practice, greed, hatred and delusion, the ending of which is called Nibbaana, is the same as "ego" [as in egotistic] rather than "self". At times I experience an impermanent self that has no greed, hatred and delusion - no ego. At those times I am working towards the benefit of myself and others, not just myself. In the consideration of "myself and others", there is a self and others and the Buddha taught that the wholesome that we should develop [kusalassupasampadaa Dhammapada v 183] is defined as not harming oneself and, or others.