In Jain Dharma, this comparison is not correct.

A Tirthankar does not approve violence. A Tirthankar is completely free from rāga-dveṣa and has kevalajñāna; they do not act out of attachment, hatred, greed, or selfish intent. Because of that, they do not “stand there” with indifference in the worldly sense. Their state is beyond ordinary emotions, but their teaching is always ahimsa.

Key Jain principle

In Jainism, himsa is judged by intention, negligence, passion, and bondage of karma, not only by the physical event alone.

So:

• A butcher killing a cow is severe himsa because it is done with intentional violence, greed, and occupation-based injury.
• A sravak is a householder who still has duties in the world, but he must minimize violence and live by vows.
• A Tirthankar is not a “doer” of violence at all; they are a liberated teacher showing the path of nonviolence.

Why the comparison fails

A spider killing a fly happens by instinct and weak karmic condition. A butcher killing a cow happens by deliberate choice and strong passion.

Jain ethics does not say all outward harm is equal. It distinguishes:

• intentional violence
• avoidable violence
• violence done with passion
• violence done without passion
• violence caused by necessity
• violence caused by ignorance

About the sravak and Tirthankar

A sravak is not “bad” just because he is not perfect. He is a practitioner on the path, bound by lesser vows.

A Tirthankar is not “good” merely in a moral sense; a Tirthankar is supremely purified, beyond ordinary worldly categories. The Tirthankar is the ideal of complete ahimsa, complete knowledge, and complete detachment.

Simple summary

• Butcher = heavy himsa
• Sravak = limited, restrained, vows-based life
• Tirthankar = no himsa, no attachment, no hatred, pure spiritual teacher

So Jain Dharma does not say, “The butcher and the Tirthankar are the same because both are just standing there.” It says karma and intention matter deeply.

If you want, I can also explain this using the Jain distinction between dravya himsa, bhava himsa, and arambhajanya himsa.