On the flesh and blood Buddha and his disciples

In The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana, Ashvaghosha writes about the
skandas:: 

"As the World-honored one, considering the inferior intellectual caliber of
Shravakas (Men of Learning) and Pratyekabuddhas (Men of Self Realization),
taught them only the doctrine of the non-personal atman, [and did not make any
further demonstration of the doctrine], the people have in the meantime formed

a fixed idea of the transitoriness of the five skandhas, and being terrified of the

thought of birth and death, have fanatically craved for Nirvana. 

In order that this clinging may be eliminated, be it clearly understood that
the essence of the five skandhas is uncreate, there is no annihilation of them;
that since there is no annihilation of them, they are in their [metaphysical]
origin Nirvana itself."