The Satcharita mentions Sai Baba left his body, so is he gone forever? How can he still be present?

According to the teachings in Chapter 43, one should not doubt that Shri Sai is beyond death. The text explains that for great saints, who are manifestations of Brahman, the states of birth and death are illusions. When Sai Baba's task for his devotees was complete, he did not perish but voluntarily merged his form back into the unmanifest, burning his body in the fire of Yoga. Chapter 43 assures us that he remains in the hearts of his devotees, and in his true form, he fills the entire moving and non-moving world. Therefore, he is not gone but has transitioned from a limited physical form to an all-pervading presence.