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Thesis
Section 8 is not really about “茶性俭不宜广广则其味黯澹”; it is about how Lu Yu turns tea from a local product into an object of argument.
Text
“Tea is frugal by nature; it should not be used too lavishly, for overuse dims its flavor.”
Context
俭：少、收敛。不宜广：不宜投茶过多。黯澹：暗淡无味。
Evidence
- Collation: 各本一致。"茶性俭"为《茶经》名句，与"精行俭德"精神呼应。
- Existing readings: 吴觉农评"茶性俭"为全书点睛：茶性内敛，贵在恰到好处，多则失味、滥则失格——这既是冲泡之道，也是"俭以养德"的人生哲学。
Analysis
Formally, the section gives a judgment, adds material detail, then returns to human practice. 俭：少、收敛。不宜广：不宜投茶过多。黯澹：暗淡无味。 That is why the Classic of Tea reads as an argued book rather than a miscellany.
Conclusion
The section does not give a universal rule. It demonstrates a method: read the text, the annotation and the Tang context together before making a modern claim.
Source: The Classic of Tea, Chapter V · The Brewing, section 8; the original is in the public domain.
Get the character right before the taste.