"Buddhism is basically humanism".

...So says Gudo Wafu Nishijima. I always liked this idea, and I think it's true.

However, I think there is a bit of practical context to be added as Master Nishijima very likely isn't just talking about 'humanism' as:

1.An outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters.

...or...

2.A Renaissance cultural movement that turned away from medieval scholasticism and revived interest in ancient Greek and Roman thought.

(as defined at Dictionary.com)

Nishijima  is also quite emphatic on the point that Buddhism is a philosophy of action, of really doing stuff first and foremost; not just thinking about it, or not thinking about the opposite of it, or agreeing or disagreeing with it... we have to encounter humanity directly in Buddhism, as opposed just thinking about it in a particular way.

In the stripped-down activities of zen practice, especially non-thinking zazen (in my limited experience at least), we have the opportunity to 'meet' our selves before we make our selves something other than what we already are, before we start thinking our selves up. We can sort of see how we come about, how we will ourselves into existence in response to various stimuli. We see how personality happens. In a sense we see how people are made, and it's a pretty similar process for everyone I reckon: So in a sense, when we 'meet our self' in this way, we meet everybody, and we can understand everybody in a very direct way. Maybe it'll soften our attitudes towards ourselves and others when we can identify with them in this more fundamental way even, if we can express it in our lives off the cushion or whatever.

I like to think that's the gist of what Master Nishijima was getting at when he said that Buddhism is basically humanism: It is direct humanism, more radical and insightful than any philosophy alone... a human meeting a human, meeting all humans.

...on the other hand maybe Gudo didn't mean that at all, in which case... it works for me for the time being!

Regards,

Harry.