From Techidiot's and Logician's answers:
The four lines are ...
... wordplay and each line designates a fragemnt that doesn't have to be a real word:
Begin with this language without silence — ENGLI (English without Sh!)
Then, a spirit without the beginning of spirit — GHOT (Ghost without S)
Then, finish — END (plain)
And then, a teacher without option &mdash,— MENT (Mentor minus Or)
These pieces ...
... can now be put together to give:
ENGLI GHOT END MENT
This is Enlightenment with God interspersed.
So the man was ...
... God and finding the solution to the riddle is Enlightenment.