Asterwise vs Fojin — Buddhist Canon Tools
A side-by-side look at the Asterwise and Fojin — Buddhist Canon Tools MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Asterwise for spirituality & esoterica work; choose Fojin — Buddhist Canon Tools for spirituality & esoterica as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Asterwise when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Spirituality & Esoterica domain.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You have the keys it needs:
ASTERWISE_API_BASE_URL. - You want tools like
asterwise_get_natal_chart, asterwise_get_divisional_chart, asterwise_get_chart_strength.
Choose Fojin — Buddhist Canon Tools when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Spirituality & Esoterica domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
search_corpus, read_passage, get_parallels.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Spirituality & Esoterica | Spirituality & Esoterica |
| Quality signal | 55/100 · Good | 64/100 · Good |
| Install command | Not confirmed yet | Confirmed |
| Transport | — | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | API key required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Freemium | Not declared |
| Required env vars | ASTERWISE_API_BASE_URL | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 352 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 118 | 8 |
| Full listing | View Asterwise | View Fojin — Buddhist Canon Tools |
Tools & capabilities
Asterwise tools 118
asterwise_get_natal_chartComputes the full sidereal natal chart from BirthData and returns planet rows, houses, aspects, arudhas, upapada, bhava cusps, and avakhada metadata. WORKFLOW: BEFORE: None — this tool is standalone. AFTER: RECOMMENDED — asterwise_get_yogas — layer classical combinations after the base chart exists. INPUT CONTRACT: BirthData enforces date YYYY-MM-DD, time HH:MM, lat -90..90, lon -180..180, ayanamsa enum locally (Pydantic). Unknown birth time: omit time (a sunrise chart is cast and birth_time_provided=false); never pass time='00:00' for unknown, which is read as midnight. Lagna-sensitive results (houses, lagna, arudhas) are then approximate. DO NOT CONFUSE WITH: asterwise_get_divisional_chart — sixteen vargas only, not the primary radix bundle returned here. Full output and error contract: https://docs.asterwise.com/mcp/tools/get-natal-chart/asterwise_get_divisional_chartComputes divisional (varga) charts from BirthData; pass chart_type for one varga, or omit chart_type for all sixteen. Each planet in each varga comes with its dignity there and whether it is vargottama; with a known birth time, each chart also has its own lagna, every planet's whole-sign house from that lagna, and a houses table. WORKFLOW: BEFORE: RECOMMENDED — asterwise_get_natal_chart — anchor D1 before reading higher vargas. AFTER: None. INPUT CONTRACT: chart_type enum is enforced locally. BirthData follows the global contract. Unknown birth time: omit time; lagna, houses and the houses table are then left out (birth_time_provided=false). DO NOT CONFUSE WITH: asterwise_get_natal_chart — radix chart with houses and drishti, not the varga set. asterwise_get_chart_strength — varga-based strength scores, not placements. Full output and error contract: https://docs.asterwise.com/mcp/tools/get-divisional-chart/asterwise_get_chart_strengthAggregates the chart's strength measures from BirthData: Shadbala, Bhavbala and Vimshopaka (with per-varga contributions). Also returns the sixteen vargas, Ashtakavarga, karaka maps and graha yuddha pairs. WORKFLOW: BEFORE: RECOMMENDED — asterwise_get_natal_chart — contextualises houses before reading bala tables. AFTER: asterwise_get_yogas — optional configuration pass after strength review. INPUT CONTRACT: BirthData only; no extra toggles. DO NOT CONFUSE WITH: asterwise_get_yogas — boolean yoga catalogue, not numeric bala. asterwise_get_ashtakavarga — standalone AVK when strength bundle is not needed. Full output and error contract: https://docs.asterwise.com/mcp/tools/get-chart-strength/asterwise_get_special_ascendantsCalls atmakaraka and ishta-devata endpoints sequentially and merges their payloads into top-level atmakaraka and ishta_devata objects for one BirthData. WORKFLOW: BEFORE: RECOMMENDED — asterwise_get_natal_chart — understand chart basics before devotional pointers. AFTER: None. INPUT CONTRACT: Wrapper returns { atmakaraka: <upstream dict>, ishta_devata: <upstream dict> } — not a flat data.* root; consumers must read nested .data fields inside each branch per upstream shape. DO NOT CONFUSE WITH: asterwise_get_natal_chart — general chart; does not compute ishta devata workflow. asterwise_get_char_dasha — timing system using karakas, not deity discovery. Full output and error contract: https://docs.asterwise.com/mcp/tools/get-special-ascendants/asterwise_get_nakshatra_detailsLooks up static metadata for one of twenty-seven nakshatras by name and returns interpretive, professional, activity, and body-map reference data. WORKFLOW: BEFORE: None — this tool is standalone. AFTER: None. INPUT CONTRACT: nakshatra_name is sent as given; the API ignores case, spaces, hyphens and common romanisation differences ('uttarashadha', 'Aswini', 'Moola' and 'Krithika' all match). An unknown name returns 404 with the 27 valid names and, for a near miss, a suggestion. DO NOT CONFUSE WITH: asterwise_get_natal_chart — computes birth nakshatra from time/place, not encyclopaedic copy. asterwise_get_dasha — uses Moon nakshatra for timing, not this lookup table. Full output and error contract: https://docs.asterwise.com/mcp/tools/get-nakshatra-details/asterwise_check_sade_satiEvaluates Saturn's seven-and-a-half-year Sade Sati cycle against the natal Moon sign for the current day. Returns intensity, upcoming cycles, and historical rows. WORKFLOW: BEFORE: RECOMMENDED — asterwise_get_natal_chart — confirm Moon sign context. AFTER: asterwise_get_gochar — broader transit canvas if needed. INPUT CONTRACT: No explicit query date — API pins to current day. BirthData global contract applies. DO NOT CONFUSE WITH: asterwise_get_gochar — nine-planet daily scan including sade_sati_active flag but less Sade Sati detail than this tool. asterwise_get_transits — ingress/station feed, not Moon-focused Saturn phase model. Full output and error contract: https://docs.asterwise.com/mcp/tools/check-sade-sati/asterwise_get_prashna_chartCasts a Prashna chart for the query instant from the supplied date, time, place and a single-topic keyword. Returns houses, Moon diagnostics, a verdict, and cusps. WORKFLOW: BEFORE: None — standalone for horary. AFTER: None. INPUT CONTRACT: question must be exactly one of: self, wealth, siblings, property, children, health, marriage, death, travel, career, gains, loss. Full sentences are not validated locally and are rejected upstream → MCP INTERNAL_ERROR at the tool layer. PrashnaInput enforces date/time/lat/lon/ayanamsa patterns locally. DO NOT CONFUSE WITH: asterwise_get_natal_chart — requires birth data, not query-moment prashna. asterwise_get_kp_chart — natal KP from birth time, not horary keyword mapping. Full output and error contract: https://docs.asterwise.com/mcp/tools/get-prashna-chart/asterwise_get_lal_kitab_chartProduces a Lal Kitab chart from BirthData following the 1952 Lal Kitab: houses counted from the Vedic lagna, the lagna house read as house 1 (Aries). Returns planets with pakka ghar, uchcha/neecha, fixed or doubtful effect and malefic reasons, the twelve houses, and the nine Lal Kitab debts (rin). WORKFLOW: BEFORE: None — standalone for Lal Kitab queries. AFTER: asterwise_get_lal_kitab_remedies — remedies for the planets that need them. INPUT CONTRACT: BirthData global contract. ayanamsa: lahiri (default), raman or kp is used as sent; tropical is refused (INVALID_PARAMS) because Lal Kitab starts from the sidereal Indian chart. Unknown birth time: omit time (a sunrise chart is cast and birth_time_provided=false); houses are then approximate. DO NOT CONFUSE WITH: asterwise_get_natal_chart — classical radix, not Lal Kitab rules. asterwise_get_lal_kitab_remedies — remedies only, for the planets that need them. Full output and error contract: https://docs.asterwise.com/mcp/tools/get-lal-kitab-chart/asterwise_get_lal_kitab_remediesLists Lal Kitab remedies (from the 1952 Lal Kitab) for the planets that need them, plus remedies for any indicated debts (rin). WORKFLOW: BEFORE: RECOMMENDED — asterwise_get_lal_kitab_chart — see the chart and malefic reasons first. AFTER: None. INPUT CONTRACT: BirthData only. ayanamsa: lahiri (default), raman or kp is used as sent; tropical is refused (INVALID_PARAMS) because Lal Kitab starts from the sidereal Indian chart. Unknown birth time: omit time (a sunrise chart is cast and birth_time_provided=false); houses, and so the remedies, are then approximate. DO NOT CONFUSE WITH: asterwise_get_remedies — mantra/gem prescriptions, not Lal Kitab remedies. asterwise_get_gemstone_recommendations — classical Ratna focus, not household remedies. Full output and error contract: https://docs.asterwise.com/mcp/tools/get-lal-kitab-remedies/asterwise_get_kp_chartBuilds a KP natal chart with sub-lords on grahas and twelve cusps from BirthData using the KP ayanamsa in the response. WORKFLOW: BEFORE: RECOMMENDED — cross-check birth record before trusting sub-lords. AFTER: asterwise_get_kp_significators — house-level significator chains. INPUT CONTRACT: ayanamsa is accepted but ignored (always KP). Birth time is required: this tool has no sunrise fallback. If the user doesn't know it, say so rather than guessing; never pass time='00:00' for unknown. DO NOT CONFUSE WITH: asterwise_get_natal_chart — classical bundle without KP sub-lords. asterwise_get_kp_ruling_planets — rulers at the moment of judgment (now or a given time), not natal cusps. Full output and error contract: https://docs.asterwise.com/mcp/tools/get-kp-chart/asterwise_get_kp_significatorsComputes KP significator chains for all houses or one optional house from BirthData and returns house tables plus planet-tier reverse indexes. WORKFLOW: BEFORE: RECOMMENDED — asterwise_get_kp_chart — establish cusps before significators. AFTER: None. INPUT CONTRACT: house_number optional int 1..12; omit for all twelve. DO NOT CONFUSE WITH: asterwise_get_kp_chart — cusps and sub-lords, not tiered significator unions. asterwise_get_natal_chart — classical drishti matrices differ from KP significator tiers. Full output and error contract: https://docs.asterwise.com/mcp/tools/get-kp-significators/asterwise_get_kp_ruling_planetsComputes KP ruling planets at a latitude and longitude for the current instant or a given local date and time, with no birth data. Returns the day lord, Moon and Ascendant lord chains, and a deduplicated ruling_planets list. WORKFLOW: BEFORE: None — this tool is standalone. AFTER: asterwise_get_kp_chart — if natal confirmation is needed afterwards. INPUT CONTRACT: lat and lon required. Optional target_date (YYYY-MM-DD), target_time (HH:MM), target_timezone (IANA; defaults to the zone at lat/lon). With neither date nor time the server uses the current instant (KP judges ruling planets at the moment of judgment); time only = that time today; date only = 12:00 local. data.target_utc and data.target_timezone show what was used. target_date must be within 1800-01-01 to 2099-12-31. A time skipped by a daylight-saving change is read with the offset before the change (moved forward by the gap); a time that occurred twice is read as the first occurrence; data.local_time_status is 'nonexistent' / 'ambiguous' / 'ok'. DO NOT CONFUSE WITH: asterwise_get_kp_chart — needs BirthData and returns full natal KP cusps. asterwise_get_prashna_chart — horary keyword workflow, not ruling-planet snapshot. Full output and error contract: https://docs.asterwise.com/mcp/tools/get-kp-ruling-planets/- +106 more on the listing page
Fojin — Buddhist Canon Tools tools 8
search_corpusSemantic search across fojin's Buddhist corpus (10K+ texts, 30+ langs). Returns the most relevant passages, each with a `urn`, title, snippet and similarity score. `lang` optionally filters by language code (lzh=Classical Chinese, pi=Pali, sa=Sanskrit, bo=Tibetan, en=English).read_passageRead the full content of one fascicle (卷) of a text, with its `urn`. Use the `text_id`/`juan_num` from a search_corpus hit. Returns the actual canonical text — quote from this, not from memory.get_parallelsCross-canon parallel passages aligned to a fascicle. fojin's alignment moat: given a Chinese fascicle, returns the aligned Pali/Tibetan/Sanskrit parallels (each with its own `urn`) so you can compare how a passage is rendered across traditions.lookup_dictionaryLook up a Buddhist term across fojin's dictionaries (748K+ entries).lookup_entitySearch fojin's knowledge graph for entities — people, places, works, doctrinal terms — matching `query`.resolve_urnResolve a fojin URN (e.g. fojin:cbeta/T0001.1) to a reader URL and confirm it exists in the corpus. Use to verify or dereference a citation.verify_quoteVerify that a Buddhist-canon quote exists VERBATIM in the corpus. Call this before presenting any quoted scripture to a reader: LLMs routinely invent plausible-looking quotes. Returns `verbatim` (bool), where it was found (`matches`, each with a resolvable `urn`), or the closest near-miss window when it wasn't. `cite` optionally narrows the search — a CBETA id ("T0374") or fojin URN ("fojin:cbeta/T0374.13") — and `cite_matched` reports honestly whether the quote is where you claimed (a hit in a different fascicle does NOT confirm your citation). Quote must be ≥4 CJK chars after normalisation; Classical Chinese only. Short quotes are answered but say less: a four-character phrase recurs across the canon, so read `cite_matched` rather than `verbatim`, and check `matches_capped` before treating the list as complete. Each match carries an absolute `reader_url` — cite that, not a reconstructed third-party link.commentariesWhat the historical commentators said about a passage of Buddhist scripture. Give a line of a sūtra and get back the classical commentaries that gloss it — each with the commentator's own words, the work it comes from, a quality tier, and a resolvable citation. This is the layer no other tool exposes for the Chinese canon: CBETA marks up almost none of it, and the alignment behind this was derived text by text. Two things to read carefully rather than skim. `total` is how many commentators the passage actually has — `truncated` says the list you got is a sample. And coverage is partial: roughly half of what a commentator wrote is not aligned, so an absent commentator means "not in the data", never "he said nothing". When nothing matches, `available_sutras` tells you which sūtras have data at all — do not read a miss as silence from the tradition.
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Asterwise
No confirmed install command for Asterwise yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
Fojin — Buddhist Canon Tools
{
"mcpServers": {
"fojin-buddhist-canon-tools": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"fojin-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Asterwise is categorized under Spirituality & Esoterica and uses an install path we have not confirmed yet. Fojin — Buddhist Canon Tools belongs to Spirituality & Esoterica and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Asterwise for spirituality & esoterica work and Fojin — Buddhist Canon Tools for spirituality & esoterica.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client. Asterwise has no confirmed install command yet — follow its own setup instructions.
Asterwise is listed as freemium — a free tier with paid plans. Auth: api key required. Fojin — Buddhist Canon Tools has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add asterwise-2 and fojin-buddhist-canon-tools as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Asterwise has a quality signal of 55/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. Fojin — Buddhist Canon Tools has 64/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 352 GitHub stars.