I think Zen would be an improvement for every trader. How? As Zen is cutting off all thinking and directing all your energy to one point it can eliminate greed and fear, after that we are really free (for trading) and follow the plan without the smallest doubt! As someone try it?
Buddhist meditation is NOT about directing one's focus into one point and blocking out thoughts and perceptions. That sounds more like The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Buddhist meditation is more about directly experience the mind and its projection (thoughts) as it is... honestly... naturally... without preconceived mumbo jumbo. I don't remember the exact quote from the great yogi Saraha... something along the line: "If you realized your mind is liberated at this instant, it is liberated." The mind is innately free from all hopes and fears but we fantasized them habitually. Paradoxically they are never apart from mind and not something to get rid of. The snake will untie itself if you know its nature and you leave it.
As to trading... just work very hard at it... study the market (write down the numbers by hand)... find an edge (not from every book that everybody uses)... create a low pressure environment (make sure properly bankrolled or get a job)... follow the plan consistently one day at a time (following instructions is the first step to mastery)...
Oh forgot... Most important of all... Honestly look at your result. Paul Tudor Jones said if you don't have an edge, you will lose ALL your money! Same goes to if you have an edge but you don't follow your trading plan.
It will help you only as far as to be come an introspective person and possibly kill your ego. Just the fact you want to force your mind to be quiet is an ego driven agenda. You want to not be stressed out.. just realize the only control you have is over yourself, not the market not other people, ect.. In being a moderator I find, a lot of ego driven personalites here. The need to be right all the time will be the demise of every aspiring trader that ulltimatly fails. Your portfolio of life is just like a series of trades, you accelerate your successses, and you deconstuct your failures. With no hesitation or lasting reservation. I find everyone has the capacity to be a good trader, whether they are even aware of that fact is another thing entirely. So don't stress, you'll get there if your meant to get there, when your meant to get there. If not, go do something else with your life. Stop trying to control the ultimate outcome. Do this and your life will be just fine..
Thats not buddish meditation but ZEN- If you can think with 98% of your mind in one thing thats better than have the mind in ten subjects at the same time. Especialy in two subjects: greed and the fear! The edge is importante but if you can focus in you plan you get out when your plan order that. The Plan: P1 The Phanton of The Pits have a quote: In a losing game such as trading, we shall start against the majority and assume we are wrong until proven correct! (We do not assume we are correct until proven wrong.) Positions established must be reduced and removed until or unless the market proves the position correct! (We allow the market to verify correct positions.) Ps: Sorry my english!
I think thats a good start, but think about this for a minute. Whereas thinking about one thing, and carrying around the fear of other thoughts clouding your mind seems ideal. Wouldn't the more ideal senario be to let all thoughts in, but have the capacity to give each one equal weighting. If a person can do this they invite an apptitude of creativity to the task, and can expect more moments of inspiration. All this while still going through the motions of completing the original goal.
That is why I wrote "Buddhist meditation" and not Zen. Not to diverge, I have thought about combining meditation with trading. I started a thread long ago when I know very little about trading (and I still know very little). But it is not meditation that got me to a better place... It was hard work. I didn't even know I got there until the numbers (from discretionary trading) jump at me... wait a minute... didn't those numbers look better than one of those curve-fitted system I wrote that doesn't quite work in real life. At the same time, I was convinced by people from ET that I don't really have anything. So I went to a good trader and ask him what am I doing wrong. Instead he said: "You must be doing something right." From there, I work one day at a time. Instead of meditation, I chant "accept the risk." But seriously, meditation (properly) of course will help things if the mind is allowed to rest in its natural state.
Yes, Zen combined with martial arts, mental and physical discipline and an ascetic lifestyle for 2 years in the Shaolin monastery should be adequate to prevent you from committing suicide in your first of trading.