F or the past 2,500 years, the Buddhist monastic tradition has relied for its physical support on the freely given donations of the laity. This most commonly happens in the form of food offered to the monks on alms round, other items such as soap and cloth given in the monastery, or money entrusted to a steward who will later purchase items for the monks. Wat Marp Jan follows this same tradition. Monetary donations given to the monastery are used to support the resident monastic community, and also to facilitate lay visitors. This includes electricity and construction expenses, and medical and travel expenses for the monks.