This koan (case 29 in The Blue Cliff Record) comes about as close to expressing a Zen metaphysics as anything I’ve seen or heard:

 

A monk said to Dasui, “When the thousands of universes are altogether and utterly destroyed in the kalpa fire—I wonder whether this perishes or not.”

“This perishes,” said Dasui.

“If so,” persisted the monk, “does it follow the other?”

“It follows the other,” said Dasui.

 

Enough said.