The text mentions Baba leaving for his 'own abode.' Does this imply he is gone forever, or is a saint's existence different from ordinary beings?

While his devotees felt a great loss, Chapter 43 clarifies that a saint's existence is fundamentally different. The text states that while gods may go to their own abodes, for saints, "the state of Brahman remains right here." They are described as knowing no coming or going, but instead, they "merge in bliss." This means Sai Baba's residence is eternal and unbroken. He is not gone but exists in a state of blissful omnipresence, continuously accessible to the faithful, with whom he shares a karmic bond spanning seventy-two generations.