expression
one should be content with little; waking, half a tatami mat; sleeping, a single tatami mat
Proverb meaning that a person needs very little space to live, so one should not greedily seek more wealth or status than necessary. The literal image is that when awake you only need half a tatami mat, and when sleeping, one full mat.
「起きて半畳寝て一畳」という言葉を知っていますか。
Do you know the saying 'waking, half a tatami mat; sleeping, a single tatami mat'?
欲張らずに、起きて半畳寝て一畳の心で暮らしたい。
I want to live without greed, with the spirit of 'waking, half a mat; sleeping, one mat.'
Similar idea of being content with what one has, but 足るを知る is a more general phrase, while 起きて半畳寝て一畳 uses the concrete image of minimal living space.
A traditional Japanese proverb. The exact origin is uncertain, but it reflects the Zen-influenced aesthetic of simple living.