Indologist Richard Gombrich has postulated that the story of Aṅgulimāla may be a historical encounter between the Buddha and a follower of an early Saivite or Shakti form of tantra.
Indologis Richard Gombrich menyatakan bahwa kisah Aṅgulimāla adalah pertemuan sejarah antara Sang Buddha dan seorang pengikut aliran tantra Siwa atau Shakti awal.