The Zen Trader

How ancient wisdom can help you master your mind and the markets

Peter Castle

• Publisher: Harriman House
• Year: 2022
• eBook ISBN: 9780857198273
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Trading
• Index: Business

Trading is a stressful occupation, with mental and emotional traps on every side. Our instincts drive us to self-destruction: holding plummeting stocks in the hope of a sudden recovery, or obsessing over the minute-to-minute movements of our holdings.What if there were a trader who knew how to avoid these traps, and could teach us to trade from a place of inner calm and peace of mind?Peter Castle has been a successful trader in financial markets for almost 30 years. He also happens to be a Zen monk. Peter's unique perspective gives him unrivalled insight into how the wisdom of Zen can empower us to master our minds, and so achieve success in the markets.Many guides to using Zen avoid clear prescriptions and rely instead on cryptic quotes. In The Zen Trader, Peter demystifies both trading and Zen, using decades of experience, sharing dozens of real-life examples, and explaining clearly the systems that enable mastery of both disciplines.He teaches us how to limit distraction, focus attention, detach from problematic emotions, be true to ourselves, and embrace the unlimited opportunities that exist in our professional and personal lives.Following Peter's wisdom, you too can become a Zen Trader.

1

THE TWO OBSTACLES TO YOUR TRADING SUCCESS

IN my opinion trading is easy, but we make it difficult. We make it difficult because we experience two obstacles to success. I mentioned these in the introduction, but they are worth repeating:

1.Traders don’t have a system or method to trade.

2.Even if they do have a method, they don’t stick to it.

IDENTIFYING AND IMPLEMENTING A TRADING METHOD

As mentioned in the introduction, many trading methods are about probability, often using systems with set rules to produce a mathematical edge. A mathematical edge does not need to be complex. An edge is simply when the probability of your method can consistently deliver more profits than losses. A mathematical trading edge can be obtained in many ways, and there are many different methods that provide an edge. However, for most traders a numerical edge is not enough to overcome the problem of not sticking to a method – because of their intense emotions.

My first book, Mindful Trading using Winning Probability, focuses on method and probability, showing you why and where the edges are in a robust trading system. That system has a win rate of around 50% and a winner-to-loser ratio of nearly 4 to 1. I will discuss a similar system later in this book. (I suggest you don’t go looking for it now. If you do, you will be committing a typical error of losing traders – impatience!) Since the winning trades make almost four times the losing trades, it should be obvious to you that if you stick to it, over time the system will be highly profitable.

Many traders do not have a system based on probability; they begin trading without a sound method. Preferably, they should employ a method that is as simple as possible, which makes it easy for aspiring traders to take the first steps along the path to trading mastery. Most aspiring traders are not taught a simple method at the beginning of their education. They often attempt too many methods or are taught complex and confusing methods, making processes hard to adhere to.

An example of a simple training process can be found in the movie The Karate Kid. The Japanese martial arts master teaches his student to polish cars by waxing on with one hand and waxing off with the other – a seemingly unimportant and boring process. It is only later, while defending himself during a competition fight, that the student realises the significance of mastering the basics of repetitive and co-ordinated hand movements.

I know from my own trading experience, and from observing colleagues and students, that many traders will struggle to trust and implement not only my systems but any system or method – even one they have developed themselves, no matter how simple it may be.

THE DIFFICULTY OF STICKING TO A METHOD

Not being able to stick to a method is something many traders don’t realise is a problem. It seems to take beginners a few years to come to the realisation that they are self-sabotaging their performance. No matter how logical, rational, convincing or seemingly robust a trading system is; no matter whether it is operated manually, automatically or under the advice of another; the overall success of the strategy is determined by the trader’s ability to cope with their emotions, which are created by their interpretation of market volatility.

There are as many methods as there are traders, and as mentioned, the percentage of successful traders is very low: as low as 5% to 10%. Obviously, there is another obstacle to trading success apart from just sourcing a simple trading method with a mathematical edge.

The reason why you (or other traders) won’t stick to a method is not complicated: the simple answer is fear. Fear of an undesirable outcome, coupled with complicated and often confusing emotions that arise when traders are faced with uncertainty.

Many trading experts have offered opinions about the psychology involved in trading. Below I list some of the prevalent advice and opinions – many I am sure you have discovered yourself or heard about before:

•Deeply accepting losses is the holy grail of trading.

•You need to be peaceful and calm – but strike quickly when needed.

•The only guarantee in trading is that you will lose.

•The most important skill is accepting losses.

•It is not about the perfect method, but the perfect mind.

•Do not repeat the same non-working process.

•Your rules are only as strong as the emotions that created those rules.

•Your subconscious rules your behaviour.

•Trading is all about your subconscious programming.

•The subconscious determines how much money you win or lose.

•Even smart people lose, because of their emotions and subconscious.

•When a trade goes against you, you get nervous and uptight. You can’t think straight.

•The market works by taking money from emotional tr...

Table of contents

• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents 
• Preface
• Foreword by Dr Alexander Elder
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 – The Two Obstacles to Your Trading Success
• Chapter 2 – Zen Is the Solution to the Second Obstacle
• Chapter 3 – Obstacles of Logic
• Chapter 4 – The Buddha Had a System
• Chapter 5 – Correct Understanding of Attachment Produces Clarity of Thought
• Chapter 6 – The Zen Secret to Developing Non-Attachment
• Chapter 7 – The Objective of Zen
• Chapter 8 – Mindfulness Alone Is Not Zen
• Chapter 9 – Being in Control and Suppressing Fear Is Not the Solution
• Chapter 10 – The Zen System for Peace of Mind and Profit
• Chapter 11 – Meditation, the Zen System’s Most Important Rule
• Chapter 12 – Measuring Peace of Mind
• Chapter 13 – Identity, the Self and Ego
• Chapter 14 – I Want Money, Not Zen
• Chapter 15 – Your Required Schedule to Make Money
• Chapter 16 – Zen Has the Answer to Don’t Know
• Chapter 17 – Simple Practices for Complicated Processes
• Chapter 18 – The Final Word on Mastery
• Bibliography
• Acknowledgements